Shadow Realm: Fifteen
by Man Called True
Summary: Remember what the show told you about where the monsters live? It was all a lie. In the Central Shadow Realm, a crumbling city, a Witty Phantom finds himself the target of some very strange plots... Completed.
1. Day in the Life

The light rose, a pale reflection of the light of the mortal world. But this was the Shadow Realm, so you had to accept some compromises. In the Level Four Fiend Living Complex, the Whiptail Crows awoke and began their unearthly cries of morning.

In one apartment, a certain orange-skinned humanoid awoke from the evening's slumber, joints locked as usual from the travails of the night. Something deep inside his brain told him he'd taken one too many shots of ogresbane the previous night. All he knew was that there was a weird cut on his stomach.

Rolling out of his bed, the man stood up and looked in the mirror on his nightstand. There was the glowing mark of the Demon's Kiss (known mockingly as the Malevolent Nuzzler) on his cheek. That needed to be washed off. He headed into the shower.

After washing off the grime of the battle from the night before, the man opened his closet. Seventeen identical purple suits with blue undershirts stared back at him. Picking one, he dressed quickly and looked in the mirror again. As good as he was going to get... Shaking his head, he locked up the apartment and stepped out into the hall, his pre-prepared lunch in the box in his hand. Off to work, again.

He was a Witty Phantom, one of many in the Shadow Realm. Call him Fifteen; his number was actually D-15A, the D signifying he worked the day shift and the A meaning he was the second of his line (the first dying under mysterious circumstances) - names were not generally respected. Whereas fiends like the Summoned Skull (or Demon Summon, as some called him) were rare, and thus had status, he was a common monster, and thus was regulated to the grind of the Shadow Realm working class. And therefore, he was stuck in an apartment in the Level Four Fiend Living Complex (while the Summoned Skull got classy digs in the Demon Penthouses). Even worse, he had one of the worst-paying, least satisfying jobs in the realm... But it still beat being Level One, homelessness, and unemployment.

There was a short walk out of the Complex, and then he was on the street. While some of the fiends had enough money to purchase the services of an Oni Tank, or maybe an Overdrive if they wanted to escape the whole "devil" thing, most of them took the train. The Labyrinth Tanks were faster, but they cost more, and somehow one was never available when he needed it.

Hands in his suit pockets, the Witty Phantom headed down the street, one foot dragging at times. The train station was a fair distance ahead, but if he knew his luck.

As expected, one of the dreck stepped out - just your traditional skeleton. "Hey, man, you wanna buy some bootleg Monster Reborns?" the thing weezed out between collapsed ribs.

"The Zombie Subsection is half a mile away, bone-pile. What are you doing here?" Fifteen asked the skeleton.

"Sir, I am merely a respectable businessman! Now, do you want to buy my wares or-" The skeleton's comments were cut short when his skull was aerially dislocated. As it hit the ground, Fifteen was already on his way.

"This neighborhood was better before the Skull Servants moved in," the Witty Phantom mumbled to himself as he neared the train station. Skull Servants, being the weakest monsters of the Shadow Realm, weren't liked even in the Low-Level Zombie Housing Complex. Some of them, like the one whose skull had taken a short aerial jaunt courtesy of Fifteen, had taken to selling bootleg magic and traps. None of it was worth buying, but enough monsters didn't notice for the Skull Servants to make a decent profit.

The Shadow Realm, Fifteen had decided long ago, was falling apart. Every day, new monsters were being jammed into the various living complexes. Even though the Shadow Realm actually expanded to accomodate the increased population, there never seemed to be enough room. And the lowlifes were taking over. The night before, Fifteen had found himself being mugged at clawpoint by one of the Three-Headed Geedos. He'd barely managed to disperse the failure before it could take his head off his shoulders.

The streets were filthy in this part of the realm. They couldn't get anyone to fall for taking the job of sanitation, and so nothing ever got better. In the Spellcaster Living Complexes, he'd heard, the streets were shiny even in the Low-Level area. In the Level Five area, the streets were made of marble. It was because they were fiends, he was sure of it. Nobody ever cleaned up for the demons.

He rounded a corner onto Broad Street, and headed into the train station.

In Fifteen's first case of good luck all day, the train to the Work Quarters was already in the station when he arrived. Showing his year-long pass to the conductor, he hopped on and took his seat.

The train's seats were in the subway fashion, with two long rows and a series of flaps hanging down. Fifteen was seated across from one of the Mystic Clowns, who was busy scanning the paper. DARK WITCH DISCOVERED IN ILLICIT AFFAIR WITH ANSATSU, the headline read. The words, "at least it was a humanoid", popped into the Witty Phanton's head at the sight of the headline.

Seated next to Fifteen was a Magical Ghost, who was merely shooting sparks into the air. This line served both the fiends and the zombies, since it had proven less costly to build only one station. Fifteen liked most of the zombies: as long as they worked on keeping the stench down, he didn't care what their current place in the life cycle was.  
The first stop was in the Low-Level Fiend Living Complex. A Tainted Wisdom floated onto the train and settled about three seats down from Fifteen.

The train kept moving, and the Mystic Clown folded his paper up and threw it to his companion, another Mystic Clown, who was four seats down. Fifteen realized he was nodding off, as the train's motion gently jostled him. It was such a temptation to sleep-

And then he heard the voice.

"Hello, handsome."

Fifteen looked up and into the eyes of a six-armed woman with an odd hairdo and a wicked smile.

Immediately, he wondered why she was on the train. Warriors had their own line. His next thought was cut off when one of the arms took his chin.

"You don't look like any man I'm used to," the woman said. "I like that. I get bored easily." She grinned, revealing that her fangs were longer and sharper than Fifteen's.

While excited by the attention, the Witty Phantom kept some sense of rationality. This woman was a Succubus Knight, and he knew what the hell a succubus could do. But he couldn't resist the purely physical side of the problem: while not inexperienced, he had learned to admit there were few women, monsters or not, who would go with the orange-skinned fellow in the fangs and the evening suit at the end of the bar.

Thankfully, before things could get to the point where Fifteen's energy was at stake, someone grabbed the Succubus Knight's armor and pulled her away. Sulking, she walked up the aisle of the train as Fifteen's saviour landed in the seat next to him. It was an odd little man in a teacher's outfit and wings.

He'd just had his life saved by a Hysteric Angel.

"I've followed that woman for the last three weeks," the Angel was saying. "She's sucked the life out of six monsters so far. It's not illegal, she's one of our kind and it's how she eats, but I don't see the point in her draining the life from an innocent bystander."

Still shaken by the experience, Fifteen could only nod.

The Angel continued, "I honestly wish the city majors could find some way of regulating monsters like her. You'd think that they would have passed a law by now preventing assaults on the trains, but they haven't done a thing... Back when the Gods were in power, this wouldn't have happened."

Suspicions raised, the fiend looked to the Hysteric Angel's jacket. There it was, the Church of the God's yellow, blue, and red pin. Another God-banger... Fifteen merely nodded again.

Before the Hysteric Angel could keep going, someone down the train screamed, "Oh, Gods, it's the Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

Everyone who heard that ran to the window.

It was. Light reflecting off its scales, massive wings flapping in slow, measured rhythm, those famous eyes never blinking, the grandest of all dragons was flying towards the Center of the Shadow Realm. It was a sight to stop the heart, to slow the mind, and to cause complete silence to rule. The dragon's head briefly turned to examine the train, then set itself back to the course it had followed before. Within minutes, the Blue Eyes White Dragon had left the viewpoint of the window.

Nobody moved from the window until the dragon had vanished from sight. Even though the train had stopped, they all stood there. Only when the conductor's voice shouted, "Work Quarters!", did they all break away and head for the doors.

On his way out, Fifteen looked down. The Hysteric Angel had fainted dead away when the Blues Eyes appeared. It made the Witty Phantom snicker on his way out of the train.

The sight of the Blue Eyes stuck in Fifteen's head even after he had arrived at the Death Examination building. It was soon wiped clear by the grind of his job.

Part of the Shadow Realm was connected to the mortal worlds. For this reason, the souls of the deceased regularly passed through the thin fabric of the Shadow Realm. It was the job of the Witty Phantoms to examine each soul upon its emergence for the black spots that indicated sins, and to thusly judge the soul's fate when it reached the Judge of the Dead. (The notes they made were sent to the Judge at the end of each workday.) In theory, this sounded exciting. In practice, as Fifteen had found out soon enough, it was rather like examining shirts for flaws.

On his way in, Fifteen retrieved his clipboard from its peg at the entrance. Like every other Witty Phantom, he also retrieved a tallying sheet from the table nearby. This sheet was the ultimate focus of his day; on it was the record of the fact that he had, indeed, worked that day. If the sheet was lost, he was denied a day's pay; if the clipboard went with it, he was out one job.

Within minutes, he had taken his place at station #15. After saying hello to the Witty Phantoms Fourteen and Sixteen, he took the position.

Their supervisor came on over the intercom. "Ready..."

Sixty Witty Phantoms reached into their suits' breast pockets.

"Set..."

Sixty Witty Phantoms retrieved their pens and clicked them on.

The whistle blew, and the harches to the Underworld slid away. An influx of souls shot through.

As the first soul shot into station #15, Fifteen grabbed it, pulled it to him, and gave it the once-over. There were some patches of black, so he looked at their size to see how bad they were. Not too bad... He recorded "minor sins" under the first entry on his clipboard, and then let the soul go. The tagging device above the station nailed the soul as it passed, marking it as the first soul of the day from station #15. (The tag matched up with the entry on Fifteen's clipboard. This made it possible for the Judge of the Dead to use the sheets for his judging.)

Another soul rose, and was duly examined. It got to be quite tedious after a while, since nobody really sins that badly. The only real risk was that Fifteen's legs might give out from under him. In the other stations, the other Witty Phantoms did their work, always examining the souls but never judging them.

This was the only job regularly available to a Witty Phantom. It was said that they presided over death, but it wasn't in the way anyone thought. They were merely examiners, designated to see if the souls were really messed up before the Judge of the Dead got his hands on them. It was a useless job, and hung on to its worth simply because without it, sixty Witty Phantoms would be out of work.

_It's easy to get a reprieve,_ Fifteen thought to himself as he examined the next soul to come into the station. _Just leap off your ledge into the Underworld._ _Others have done it. That's how new Witty Phantoms get their space in here, after all.  
_

There was a sudden buzz, and Fifteen looked up. All the attention was on station #34, where one of the Witty Phantoms had fumbled his clipboard. It hung now by the hole in its clip from a small nail, which was there merely through a design flaw. The worker for that station was on his stomach, arm extended, trying desperately to retrieve his clipboard.

The supervisor was leaving his office, they could see that through the shaded windows. If Thirty-Four (the clumsy Phantom's number) couldn't get the clipboard back.

His fingers reached the clip, caught on, held... and pulled it up.

All of the Witty Phantoms let out a sigh of relief as Thirty-Four got up, clipboard in hand, and resumed work. The supervisor returned to his office.

Nothing else of interest really happened until lunch. The whistle blew, and sixty Witty Phantoms sat down at their stations for lunch.

Opening his own lunchbox, Fourteen turned to Fifteen and said, "Have you heard? N-26B is dead."

Setting down the curry bread he had almost bitten into, Fifteen looked back and asked, "Since when?"

"At 3 A.M. this morning, he got wasted and threw himself in front of a Labyrinth Tank. Shards were found three blocks away." Fourteen sipped his canned coffee. "Hell of a way to die."

After staring suspiciously at his curry bread for a moment, Fifteen took a bite, swallowed, and asked, "Didn't N-26A die oddly?"

A snicker escaped the Witty Phantom's mouth. "He got mugged to death by a Baron of the Fiend Sword, so I'd say so. And N-26, the first one, fell off his platform. The line's got a few problems."

Sixteen looked up from his okanomiyaki (a gift from Twenty-One) and asked, "Has his replacement checked in yet?"

"This morning, " said Fourteen as he finished the canned coffee. "Seemed nice enough." He paused, and then intoned, "May he rest in the Graveyard."

The intention was clear, and so Fifteen added, "Let Despair from the Dark never find him."

One of Sixteen's fingers slid over his pin, from the yellow to the blue to the red. "The Gods protect him."

Seventeen put down his chopsticks and contributed, "He shall become one with the Great Leviathan."

It was a game that was played often in the Central Shadow Realm, every time someone died and a group of people knew who they were. The object was to name as many myths of the afterlife as the group could without repeating. All monsters went to the Graveyard after they died, but what happened after that was a matter of discussion.

"Have fun in Pandemonium," Twenty-Two said before returning to his solitare game.

"Sleep in the arms of Saint Joan," contributed Twenty-Three as he sipped his soup.

Twenty-Four, whom the deceased had owed money, shouted, "See you in Hell, pal!"

Nobody said they had to be _nice_ myths.

"Archlord Zerato guide you," Thirty-Four stated as he finished his sandwitch.

Thirty-Five chimed in, "He shall sleep eternally in Necrovalley."

And thirty-nine items later, they had reached Fourteen again. He turned to Seven, the unofficial scorekeeper, and asked, "How did we do?"

Seven had the misfortune of needing glasses, and he pushed them up on his nose before replying. "Which scoring system?"

"Strict and Regular."

Clearing his throat, Seven totaled the numbers in his head. "Strict, we repeated on Twenty-Seven, who mentioned the Archfiends after Twenty-Two had listed Pandemonium. Regular... we did it."

There was a brief cheer before the Witty Phantoms returned to lunch.

The rest of the day passed in tedium.

There was no chance of advancement at this job. The best one could hope for was to be a shift supervisor, and there was only one of those, and the position was filled. Maybe you could get a raise, if you were lucky and your work was flawless, but that was exceedingly rare. Normally, the best one could hope was that they never got fired.

The endless stream of souls passed through one state of being and into another, and the Witty Phantoms kept counting them off. Why, nobody knew. They just kept studying.

And then the whistle sounded, and the infernal drone of ink-covered metal against paper gradually silenced. The whistle blew again, and sixty Witty Phantoms clicked their pens off and returned them to their breast pockets.

The supervisor's door opened, and the Judge Man shouted, "Okay, quitting time! Put your tally sheet into the box marked for it and place your clipboard on its marked post before you leave!"

Sixty Witty Phantoms stepped out of their posts and headed for the exits.

Fifteen dropped his tally sheet into the box marked for them, where it would be sent to the Judge of the Dead after they were gone. Placing his clipboard on its peg, he passed through the door, nodded goodbye to Fourteen and Sixteen, and then headed for the train station.

Again, his limited luck was serving him well, and the next train for the Spellcaster Quarter was pulling into the station just as he arrived.

It was evening. The day's labor was ceased for now, and it was time to recuperate. There was only one place that a fiend could go to that was worth going to.

The Blue Nemuriko.

Over the door hung a neon sign, showing the immature lamia holding a cocktail shaker. It drew the passerbys in, although since it was in the middle of the Spellcaster Quarter, there were few people passing it who didn't intend to come in. This was the gathering place for the lower-leveled; the higher-leveled had their Forbidden Palace in the Council Lower Quarter.

Fifteen's closest friend, the Ogre of the Black Shadow known as Nine, was already at the table. Removing his hat and jacket, the Witty Phantom slumped into his chair and snapped his fingers. A Flying Penguin with a tray on his head appeared next to their table.

"Whiskey on the rocks," Fifteen ordered. "And by that I mean ice." As the penguin left, he turned to Nine and said, "One of these days I'll forget to say that and shatter my jaw."

"Don't let it get you down," Nine replied. "They're smarter than you give them credit. How goes the sorting of souls?"

"I honestly don't see the point. The Judge of the Dead goes over them anyway. How goes the carrying of large objects?"

"The Destroyer Golems are still on strike, so we have to carry the marble blocks. Three of the Battleguards are out with torn muscles. We had to call in the Goblin Attack Squads just to make quota. At this rate, we'll never finish the expansion."

"Why do you bother?" Fifteen took his now-arrived drink and sipped at it. "It'll just break when the Labyrinth Walls take hold. And then the Wall Shadows will show up, and things will go to hell again. Just like when they tried to build Low-Level Dragon Habitats."

The expresson on Nine's face showed that he hadn't forgotten. He'd lost a decent patch of skin when one of the Koumuri Dragons decided that they shouldn't be building homes for wild creatures. There were still parts of the forest that hadn't grown back.

"Yeah, but work is work. You should know that."

"Don't remind me. We'll never get anywhere, Nine. The system pins us down just by our levels. The best we can hope for is that we wind up in the Graveyard and not the Void."

"There's always the Uprise..."

At that, Fifteen looked into his friend's eyes with a look that was only equaled by that of a man about to be hit by that pair of lights hooked to large amounts of metal.

"You actually believe that story? About rebirth into stronger bodies through an act of unequaled heroism? Nine, I thought you had rational sense." They both sipped their drinks. "Besides, they say it's only into a body of the same subtype. Knowing my luck, it would backfire and I'd become an Ancient Brain. I'd rather not risk that."

Nine shrugged. "It was just a suggestion. You could always try Fusion..."

"There AREN'T any Fusions involving Witty Phantoms, Nine. I could Uprise, backfire into the Ancient Brain, and fuse with a Tainted Wisdom - Skull Knights are pretty respected. But that has a one-in-half-a-trillion chance of working, so..." His body shaking with a sigh, Fifteen finished off his drink. "Look at this. I buy a five-dollar whiskey, and it runs out in three sips."

"So that means you're buying, then?" Nine grinned, not a very pleasant sight. He'd won that round.

Fifteen briefly glared at his friend, then nodded and snapped his fingers. The waiter waddled over again. "Another whiskey with ice for me, and a gin and tonic for my uncivilized, backstabbing friend here." Orders taken, the penguin waited. Reaching into his pocket, the Witty Phantom threw a couple of bills onto the tray. Duly paid, the penguin waddled away.

On the stage in the back of the bar, an attractive girl with a large harp took her place and began playing a tune that was both ethereal and painfully solid at the same time. Even the entertainment was low-level at this bar. It wasn't like you could book the Harpy Lady Sisters to appear at a place like the Blue Nemuriko.

Fifteen took his whiskey from the waiter's tray, sipped at it, and then lowered his head and let the music envelope him. He was getting good at this, often drifting into a state of fugue that was only broken when the lights went out. Before he lowered his head, he briefly noted a robed figure at the table five tables over.

The music kept playing, as the Spirit of the Harp did the best job she could for the tiny amount of money they paid her. The other monsters drank themselves into stupors, a brief respite from their pain. As the Shadow Realm continued to slide into a mockery of civilization, and the lesser creatures suffered the slings and arrows of the Council's failed attempts at staunching the wounds, the monsters did what they could to forget it all for a while. All these thoughts entered Fifteen's mind as he kept drinking.

There was a hideous scream, and Fifteen's head shot up to see what was happening.

The door had been chopped open, and a Sword Hunter with glowing red eyes was assaulting the patrons. The armored, vicious swordsman cornered a pair of Celtic Guardians and, with a flash of his swords, tore one into three pieces. The other drew his sword, but could barely lift it before his head was taken off.

_Oh, damn_, the Witty Phantom thought. _A rogue Sword Hunter._ Sometimes, one of the monsters in the Shadow Realm just snapped, losing all trace of an orderly nature. These creatures, threats to the rest of the Shadow Realm, were called rogues. Their presence went a long way toward the mistrust of fiends, since many of them were skilled mind controllers. Rogues were horrible things, things that needed to be destroyed to prevent innocent deaths.

The rogue Sword Hunter picked up the severed heads of the Celtic Guardians and hung them from hooks on his armor, causing his muscles to expand and his face to lock in a grin that could drive even the calmest man mad. As the patrons of the Blue Nemuriko fled, he cut down a Battle Ox and hacked off its horn, adding that to his outfit. Now he turned on the tables, hacking them to pieces in his frenzy.

On the stage, the Spirit of the Harp grabbed her harp and ran for the stairs. The Sword Hunter moved into her way and raised his blades.

A blur appeared on Fifteen's peripheral vision as the robed figure whipped aside his robe and jumped up. Rotating to look at it (Nine having already fled), he saw the figure land on top of the table.

And for the second time that day, Fifteen was looking at a legend.

The man atop the table was dressed in purple robes, the collar of which rose up past the top of his head. A green metal staff rested in his hand, and he wore a large purple hat that allowed a small amount of his hair - blue - to spill loose. The man's eyes were blue as well, an unearthly shade, and they briefly settled on the Witty Phantom before turning to the rogue Sword Hunter.

Fifteen couldn't help but stare. First the Blue Eyes White Dragon, and now the Dark Magician...

Reaching into his pocket, the Dark Magician pulled out a small cube - a condensed magic cube. Snapping it open, he let a white gas seep out and surround his body. When the gas cleared, he was holding something that Fifteen knew very well, having fought with it before. _Who would have thought the legendary Dark Magician used Swords of Deep-Seated_, Fifteen thought.

Locking the sword into the top of his staff, the mage leaped off of his table and landed next to the Sword Hunter. The rogue only had a few seconds to think before the blade swung across.

The rogue Sword Hunter's expression went through anger, fear, and acceptance before the top half of his body slid off the bottom half. Both halves suddenly exploded into shards, before finally vanishing.

The Sword of Deep-Seated vanished from the Dark Magician's staff as he walked to where the Spirit of the Harp was cowering. "Are you okay, miss?" he asked. Even his voice was perfect, Fifteen found himself thinking, a deep tenor, pitched just right for his figure.

The girl nodded, and then got up.

Nodding in return, the Dark Magician headed for the door. On his way out, however, he stopped and looked at Fifteen.

The Witty Phantom could only return the look.

There was a brief glimmer of recognition on the mage's face, and then he shook his head and walked out. Stopping just before the door, he pulled out a canvas sheet and wrapped it around himself before leaving.  
Fifteen was out about five seconds later.

On the end of the street, there was a small box on a post, marked "Labyrinth Tank Transit - Press Button to Summon". The fare was usually higher than it needed to be, but tonight Fifteen was willing to pay it.

Slapping the button, he waited for the response. It came as part of the pavement blasted upwards, raining concrete on the street. Immediately afterward, the purple shape of the tank came into view, drill still whirring. Walking around to the rear, Fifteen sat down and buckled up on the passenger's seat.

From within the Labyrinth Tank, a voice asked, "Where to, friend?"

"Level Four Fiend Living Complex, front entrance," Fifteen responded.

"That'll be 75 dollars, compadre."

Counting his money, Fifteen tossed the required amount (in other words, all that he had left) through the now-open rear window. The window slammed shut, and a different voice said, "Look out, 'cause we're heading down."

The drill whirred, the tank spun diagonally down, and they headed into a new-carved tunnel. The tanks were offputting to some, as they moved very fast and usually spat debris in their path, but Fifteen had found that closing his eyes until the sensation of movement ceased made it less frightening.

Almost literally before he knew it, the movement stopped and a voice behind his head announced, "Here we are, Level Four Fiend Living Complex. Hop off and have a nice night, man."

Fifteen unbuckled his seat belt, hopped off the seat, and ran clear of the blast radius. Behind him, the tank tilted downward and slammed back into the pavement, disappearing from view. Their point of exit had healed behind them.

Using his key, the Witty Phantom unlocked the resident's door and headed into the building.

The door to his apartment unlocked before him, and Fifteen stepped into his room, drained from the events of the day. Tossing his hat onto the chair next to the door, he headed into the bathroom.

Teeth brushed and other business dealt with, he removed the suit and hung it on one of the "wash" hangers. Setting his alarm clock, he fell into his bed and let the dreams take him.

Down in the street, the Skull Servants were coming out of hiding. In the Death Examination building, the night shift was getting into the rhythm of the evening. Outside the Blue Nemuriko, the cops were setting up investigation procedures. And in his apartment in the Level Four Fiend Living Complex, Fifteen the Witty Phantom was already asleep.


	2. Fugitive

The morning train was late. Resting on a bench, Fifteen the Witty Phantom sipped at a cup of coffee he had purchased from a kiosk some way down the street. The only decent thing you could get in the Fiend Quarter was the coffee; the Portrait's Secrets brewed it, and they were good at it, despite having to hang from a wall in order to do anything.

Taking another sip, Fifteen straightened his cuffs. His job was not one truly worth going to most days, but it was the only job a Witty Phantom who couldn't get the attention of high-level monsters could hope to get. Some of the more fortunate low-leveled fiends had found jobs serving the Shadow Realm Council members. Their lives were cushy, happy and comfortable, without the difficulties that came with living in the Fiend Living Complexes. Fifteen had always wished he could meet one of these lucky bastards, preferably while armed with a heavy object.

One of his pointed ears picked up the sound of skeletal toes scraping against the cobblestones, heading his way. Half-turning to see what it was, Fifteen's heart sank a little. It was a Skull Servant.

A Skull Servant with wire weaved between his skull and his neck. One with two Dark Assailants following him. One whose eternal grin was a little strained this morning.

"Well, my friend, I see you got your skull back on," Fifteen quipped, reaching for that special cloth hidden in his pocket.

The Skull Servant made a clacking noise that was probably a snigger. "We meet again, Mr. High-and-Mighty Fiend. I believe you know the reputation of my friends, Misters Slash and Terror." He nodded to the Dark Assailants. "They're here on a very specific job, the requirements of which require them to do to you what you did to me."

The Dark Assailants drew their swords and smiled, an odd smile since they didn't have lips.

Fifteen pasted the cloth to his hands unnoticed. He felt the fabric warming up as it bonded to his hands, and then smiled himself. "I don't think so." He then raised his hands. "Phantom Strike!"

Moving quite a bit faster than one would expect him to, the Witty Phantom slammed his glowing palms into the stomachs of the two Dark Assailants. The monsters writhed for a short while, and then exploded into small triangles.

Realizing that his bodyguards were now beyond helping him, the Skull Servant turned to flee, only to be stopped by Fifteen grabbing his collar. The wire was ripped free...

A few seconds later, a small skull was seen flying over the top of the train station. Nobody connected it to Fifteen, for at that moment his train arrived, and he boarded it before the skull had even landed.

Resting in his spot on the train, next to the Magical Ghost and across from the Mystic Clown, Fifteen unpeeled the cloth from his hand. All Witty Phantoms had a cloth like that; when it was placed on their hand, they could use their racial attack. Normally, he never had to use it.

As he folded the cloth, Fifteen noticed that the Mystic Clown across from him was busily staring at him. "What's the matter? Never seen a Witty Phantom before?" Fifteen asked.

"It's not that, man. Haven't I seen you in the Blue Nemuriko?" The Mystic Clown was holding the daily paper in one hand.

"Probably. I go there every few nights. Why'd you ask?"

The Mystic Clown tossed him the newspaper, and Fifteen looked at it.

"'THREE KILLED IN BLUE NEMURIKO RAMPAGE...'" Fifteen snorted. "Finally, something less than Level Five made the headlines."

"It's the third paragraph you should be worried about, man," the Mystic Clown replied.

Fifteen's eyes dropped to the third paragraph, and he read, "'The Sword Hunter's activities are believed to be the work of fiendish possession, and as a result, the police are investigating various fiends...' What a load of garbage. If a fiend had possessed him, you would know..." And then he stopped cold.

The next sentence was on the tip of his tongue, but it was some time before he read it: "'A Witty Phantom was spotted in the Blue Nemuriko at the time of the murders. Police are currently seeking him out for questioning..."

"That's why I wanted you to read that, man. You gotta be careful. They'll be searching for you."

The train pulled to its first stop, the Low-Level Fiend Living Complex. Nothing got on. Looking out the window, Fifteen saw that several lower-level monsters were patrolling the fringes of the station. Judging from their movements, it was a barricade.

The train pulled away, and the Magical Ghost proceeded to float away from Fifteen and off to another empty seat. The Witty Phantom felt somewhat insulted.

"Work Quarters!" came the shout, and the train proceeded to be emptied.

Entering the Death Examination building, Fifteen noticed that things were ever so slightly off-kilter. First off, when he checked for his clipboard and sheet, they weren't there. Secondly, the Judge Man who was supposed to be supervising was standing on the platform in front of his office rather than being in it. And third, there was another Witty Phantom standing at Station #15, chatting with Fourteen and Sixteen.. To the original Fifteen, this was like seeing one's clone doing his job.

Quietly dusting off his coat with one hand, he walked up to his supervisor, shoving his hat back up on his head as he walked. "Excuse me," he said, climbing up the stairs to the Judge Man's platform, "why is there another Witty Phantom at my station?"

After taking a sip of coffee, the Judge Man turned to look at him. "Hate to say it, Old Fifteen, but I got a report from the Shadow Council, of all places. They told me a Witty Phantom who matched your aura-" Since all monsters of the same species looked mostly alike, auras were used instead of descriptions when one was sought for some purpose. "-was seen leaving the Blue Nemuriko last night. I can't have anyone who might be responsible for that judging souls - it's just too hypocritical. So we brought in a replacement."

Taking off his hat, the newly-replaced Fifteen held it in front of him sheepishly, like a schoolboy who's just received a thorough dressing-down. "But... what am I supposed to do?"

One of the Judge Man's fat fingers pointed towards the service exit, and he grunted, "Don't let the door hit you when you're getting out."

A low clicking, which happened to be Fifteen's shoes on the concrete floor of the Death Examination floor, was all that could be heard as he slowly walked out of his former place of employment.

Some three hours passed before a M-Warrior #1, on patrol for his bosses in the Central Shadow Realm Police Force, found a Witty Phantom whose aura matched that of the Blue Nemuriko Witty Phantom sitting on a bench near one of the magic-production factories. The suspect was quietly tossing cracked bits of wheat to the peacocks that wandered near his spot, occasionally shedding a tear and sobbing a bit.

The M-Warrior #1, who had the ID number K-124, had joined the police force because there were few jobs for low-level Warrior types. The police, due to their use of such restricted traps as the famous Gravity Bind, could find much use for monsters like Kay-Ontoofor (called Ontoo by his coworkers). And so he was on duty today, having run into one of the most-wanted list's newest members.

Holding up his sword, the M-Warrior shouted, "Hold it right there!"

There was a brief pause as the suspect's eyes migrated across the sockets to look at Ontoo, and then a muttered, "Ah, damn."

"You're under arrest for murder and suspected conspiracy against the Central Shadow Realm! If you put up your hands and surrender now, we can settle this peacefully!" One of the officer's hands slid to his belt, on which he wore a Regulation Sparks Gun. It contained twenty-five castings of the magic known as Sparks, and was to be drawn only in an emergency. If this fiend was the one who had caused the rash of unexplained rogues, it could indeed be an emergency.

The thought of all the paperwork that would result from this, however, prevented Officer Kay-Ontoofor from drawing his gun in time to prevent the suspect from jumping up and making a break for it.

Ontoo stood there for a second, utterly dazed, before picking up his radio and uttering, "We've got a runner."

Fifteen leaped over a fence, dashing towards the train station. He hadn't expected the police to find him that quickly; normally they never patrolled the Work Quarter. Just his luck that he'd run into a competant one.

Three more M-Warriors and two Science Soldiers appeared on opposite sides of him. A Gradius hovered overhead, as two Armaills slid down steel wires from it, landing directly in front of him. A Kojikocy and the M-Warrior from before were behind him. Every single one of them were armed with Sparks guns.

Fifteen was completely and utterly trapped.

One of the Armaills took out a primed trap cube, which was humming dangerously. "Witty Phantom Fifteen, you are under arrest for suspected treason against the Central Shadow Realm! If you surrender now, you will peacefully be taken for questioning to the Headquarters! If you resist, however, we will be forced to use this Gravity Bind cube. It is your choice!"

Fifteen's hand slid into his pocket, carefully wrapping around a magic cube he'd forgotten was in there. Sensing its aura, he determined that it was an Creature Swap cube. A glance over the Armaill's shoulder revealed that the train was pulling into the station. He carefully primed the cube, and prepared himself.

"You have ten seconds to answer me!" The Armaill set one finger on the cube's trigger.

"I choose to resist," Fifteen said, and he hurled down the cube. It exploded in a flash of light, and when it faded...

...one very confused Armaill stood in his place. The Witty Phantom, on the other hand, was legging it towards the train.

To his utter chagrin, the train was pulling out of the station by the time Fifteen got there. Not having much of a choice, he continued running towards it. His run was punctuated by the hissing noises of missed Sparks shots hitting the ground behind him.

By the time he reached the train itself, it was almost out of the station entirely. Against his better judgment, Fifteen sprang at it, causing a few of the policemonsters chasing him to gape. Thankfully for his immediate future, Fifteen managed to cling to a door, although his fingertips immediately began to scream in pain. His shoes were also the worse for wear.

Looking ahead, Fifteen recognized a few landmarks. The train was heading towards the Spellcaster's Quarters - the Low-Level Section, by the looks of it. Fifteen's fingers were threatening to pop out of their sockets and crawl for their lives, and his toes were about to snap off.

A rogue gust of wind grabbed the Witty Phantom's hat and decided to take off with it. Instinctively, Fifteen took one hand off the door and grabbed it. This was a two-edged sword: his hat was safe, but he himself was teetering badly, about to fall from his perch and plummet into the inky void that was the landscape around him. One foot began to slip...

The door was opening... Fifteen let go, and he began to fall backwards...

A curved staff suddenly grabbed his shirt and pulled. Fifteen fell forward, crashing face-first into the floor of the train. The door slid shut behind him. There was a short delay as Fifteen's mind reassembled itself.

Once he had recovered, the Witty Phantom got onto one knee and dusted himself off, examining his savior. It was a girl, not entirely to his surprise, one with a purple tunic over a red shirt and leggings. Her hair was a light fuschia, and she carried her staff rather adroitly. Her face was currently lit up with a smile.

"Hi!" she chirped. "I'm Tessia."

Now, normally, Fifteen would have introduced himself and thanked the Magician of Faith (for that was her species) for saving him. A pleasant conversation would have followed, ending when the train reached its stop and Tessia disembarked. Then Fifteen would have ridden the train home and, shortly afterwards, be promptly arrested. So it was all for the better that, even as his mouth formed the words, "I'm Fifteen. Thanks for saving me," his mind derailed.

What emerged was, "A name? You have a NAME?"

Somewhere near the Work Quarter train station, the Central Shadow Realm Police Force was busily combing the area of an escape that, if videotapes existed, would have made the rounds of "Amateur Video Night" programs. Kay-Ontoofor, the M-Warrior #1 who had brought glory and shame on himself simultaneously by finding and then losing the fugitive Witty Phantom, was standing near the east exit, senses actively seeking the Phantom's aura.

A voice spoke in his head all of a sudden: _Leave the train station and head into the former Equip Factory._ It sounded rather urgent, and was not the sort of voice that an intelligent creature would cross. So Ontoo obeyed it.

Sneaking out of the east exit, he crossed through the park and found himself at a large, empty building. Not one to hesistate, he walked right in, and found himself in a gigantic room full of machinery. Large assembly lines flanked him, now still and cold. The tables with pentagrams carved upon them, where Spellcasters once imbued the magic cubes, still maintained a glow of undrained power.

A large figure hovered in from the shadows at the back of the room, staying just out of Ontoo's sight. Another figure joined him, hunched over and growling. _Stay quiet, Pav_, Ontoo heard in his head. _You'll get your chance soon enough._

"What... what is going on?" Ontoo asked. Then a loud, screeching wail burst in his mind, and he sank to his knees. The world went dark...

...His master was standing before him, holding up a gigantic, wicked weapon. A Sword of Deep-Seated? No, it was even more terrible than that... It was an axe. An Axe of Despair.

_Take this weapon_, the master said in his mind. _Go out there. Show your friends the power of a true warrior. If you do, I promise power without measure..._ Ontoo's old sword was plucked from his fingers, and the powerful new weapon was placed in his grip. His fingers were curved around it.  
Ontoo rose, feeling the sheer energy from the master's gift swelling his muscles. He was dizzy, but soon that left him. He stood before his master, willing to do whatever he was bid.  
_Go now_, the master commanded. _Tear them to pieces. Show me what you are!_  
As the M-Warrior #1 left to do as his master wished, he could hear one last thought, from the master to the other creature beside him: _Do you see, Pav, how simple it truly is?_

The first one to notice Ontoo's return was a Science Soldier, ID number T-408. He noticed that Ontoo's eyes were blazing with a dark red light, and that his comrade was holding a gigantic axe. Fearing the worst, that his coworker had gone rogue, Tee-Foroate raised his gun. "Hal-"

The axe chopped his hands off before he could even fire. Staring at the stumps, Tee never saw the axe coming down to cleave him in half.

Three Armaills rushed up to stop the rogue M-Warrior. One was beheaded, which was fortunate, as he didn't live long enough to feel it. The next had his tail sliced off, and then the hilt of the axe crushed in his head. The third tried to run, but received a chop to his spine for his troubles.

By now, the other police officers could see that Ontoo was beyond control. The other M-Warriors readied their blades and charged in, with support from the airborne Gradius.

Using his innate magnetic pulse, Ontoo launched himself into the air by repelling himself off the other M-Warriors. Landing on the Gradius, he sliced its engines off. Leaping from the ship before it crashed, he spun around on the ground and chopped all three M-Warriors in half.

Only the Kojikocy was left. Taking an emergency Rush Recklessly cube from his pocket, he activated it, feeling the massive boost of power to his limbs. Aiming himself, he charged directly at the M-Warrior rogue, blade slashing wildly...

All too late did he see Ontoo activate his own Rush Recklessly cube.

By the time the Kojikocy got within range of his former comrade, both his arms had been sliced off. He didn't suffer, though, as he was decapitated shortly afterwards.

The entire train station was a scene of ghoulish slaughter as Ontoo lowered his axe. The bodies were quickly becoming unstable, and when they did, they would shatter into the triangular shards that all Shadow Realm monsters shattered into on the occasion of their deaths. It had been a good fight.

And then Ontoo's mind woke up.

The Axe of Despair slid from his fingers as he rushed over to the slain body of the Science Soldier who was the first to die. "Tee!" Ontoo screamed. "Tee! You can't be dead!"

Tee-Foroate's body shattered, cutting Ontoo's palms as it did so.

All around the M-Warrior, body after body shattered in a rain of shards.

Raising his hands and clawing at the air, Ontoo weeped, red tears streaming down his mask, leaving small mineral deposits on the metal. Only then did he notice the twin shadows again, the ones he had seen in the Equip Factory. The hunched-over one was growling and snarling, barely restrained by a leash, which was being held by the taller, upright figure next to it.

Its grip on the leash never loosening, the taller shadowy figure floated forward, and suddenly Kay-Ontoofor, the M-Warrior #1, saw what it was. It was a figure of nightmares.

"You..."

_Yes, me. Is there something you want?_

Ontoo rose, staggering, to his feet. The tears still poured down his helmet.

_Perhaps... you would like release from this nightmare you call a future? A quick and not-unduly-painful escape from a destiny that would end in a far more agonizing death?_

His mind barely able to contemplate the words, Ontoo nodded. The tall figure let go of the leash.

Before his eyes could follow it, the hunched-over figure - an Amphibian Beast - pounced on him, its terrible claws ripping into his flesh. The foul hands then locked on his head, pushing...

Ontoo quite quickly exploded, his shards covering the Amphibian Beast's body. The monster's skin was too thick, so they merely slid off.

Having taken the edge off his rage with one kill, the Amphibian Beast turned to the other creature nearby. Suddenly, however, its mind was assaulted and thrust at by a million clashing thoughts.

And then the tall figure picked up the leash, and it heeled to its master.

One long-fingered hand held out Ontoo's sword. Because Ontoo had not held it during the time of his death, the sword was in one piece.

_Look at it, Pav_, the tall figure thought to his savage "pet". _An M-Warrior's sword. Imagine what potential THIS has in our little machine... And all it cost was a bunch of useless, low-leveled pests. Oh, for the days when we will rule..._  
The two figures departed, the tall one's hand tightly clamped around his pet's leash.


	3. Discoveries

Night was beginning to fall on the Central Shadow Realm, the place of monsters. The Whiptail Crows settled on their perches, and the dragons flew to their lairs in the steep cliffs of the west. A chill wind blew; the Kuribos huddled together in their nests, and the creatures of the Pyro and Thunder Living Complexes retreated into their heated chambers. The Green Phantom King bid his subjects goodnight and, as the plants closed up, led his wife, the Queen of the Autumn Leaves, into the royal bedchamber. The zombies and the fiends began to shift in their respective complexes.

A train still chugged around the tracks circling the Central Shadow Realm, its running lights turned down. Aboard it, a Witty Phantom that went by Fifteen sat on the floor, catching his breath from the exertion of evading arrest. Next to him, a Magician of Faith by the name of Tessia took her seat once more, smirking at the exhausted fiend.  
Once Fifteen had his breathing under control again, the Magician of Faith looked at him a bit more closely. "What's wrong with me having a name?"

"Well," Fifteen muttered, before regaining his volume, "it's just not that common. I mean, most low-levels don't dare take a name, what with the mobs stamping about... Hell, I've got a number, and that's that. I'm Fifteen, by the way."

Tessia giggled. "I see you're still using a number," she said once her giggling was under control.

"It's worked for me for my lifetime." Adjusting his hat, Fifteen glanced up and down the Magician of Faith beside him. "So... what jobs can a low-level Spellcaster take?"

The train was beginning to slow down, so Tessia stood up and retrieved a small bag from the luggage rack overhead. As she did so, she said, "I tend bar at the Missing Number. It's a little place on the edge of the Level Four Spellcaster Living Complex. Say..." Pulling the bag over her staff arm, she smiled at him. "Since you can't go home tonight anyway, I think you're best off coming with me."

Silently, Fifteen dashed off a quick prayer of thanksgiving to the Gods. "That sounds lovely," he said aloud. The train pulled to a stop, and he regained his feet just as the doors opened up.

"Level Four Spellcaster Living Quarters!" came the shout, all in one breath. The two disembarked.

As it turned out, "on the edge" meant "a block from the train station". The sign on the Missing Number's roof showed twenty lights, blinking on and off in orderly progression. There was a Warrior Dai Greipher at the door, indicating that the bar had enough class to need a bouncer. He merely nodded as Fifteen and Tessia passed him.

To Fifteen's surprise, the first thing he saw in the bar was a sign saying, "Level Six or Higher Monsters Not Admitted". Underneath it was a picture of the Summoned Skull in a circle with a line through it. And looking through the crowd, he realized that the limit was strictly kept - none of the monsters at tables, on barstools, or playing pool were above Level Five. A Shadow Ghoul was lining up a shot at one of the pool tables, while a distinctly-unimpressed Amazoness Swordswoman watched it. Two Sangans chattered at each other, apparently arguing over a game of dice. One of them grabbed a chair and was about to swing it before a club knocked the chair apart. A quick growl from the Lava Battleguard holding the club caused the Sangan to bounce back into its chair and act nonchalant.

Seeing that, Fifteen looked over the bar and... yes, there was a Swamp Battleguard near the back, waiting to be needed. Where one was found, one always found the other.

The Witty Phantom and Magician of Faith wandered further into the bar, before Tessia suddenly let out a shriek and charged across the floor, Fifteen's arm in her deathgrip. A Witch of the Black Forest looked up from where she was studying a tablet and returned the shriek, heading towards them. The two embraced, and Fifteen took the opportunity to massage blood back into his arm.

A moment later, he turned back to them, and took the chance to speak up. "Either she's a friend of yours or one of you is acting."

"I'm Naomi," the Witch answered, blushing a little. Her third eye, like most of her kind while in public, was shut. Having once shared an apartment with a Big Eye, Fifteen didn't care one way or another. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister..."

"Fifteen."

Tessia giggled again - he found that both pleasurable and annoying - and slid behind the bar, taking up a glass and almost automatically setting about cleaning it. There was someone else at the other end of the bar, a bald man in a labcoat and goggles, busy arguing over tabs with a Penguin Knight. "Can I get you anything?" Tessia asked Fifteen.

"Whiskey on the rocks," he replied, sitting down and looking toward the front of the bar, where a lone Thunder Nyan Nyan provided the bar's entertainment.

The whiskey arrived, and he nursed at it, pondering how long it would take for the cops to arrive. After all, the train's route was posted at every stop, and there weren't that many places to hide in the Central Shadow Realm.

A Blast with Chain thudded into the wooden door, and the Union Rider that had activated it leapt back, signalling for his fellow officers to retreat. Three clicks were heard, and then an explosion tore through the Level Four Fiend Living Complex.

Before the dust could settle, three Mysterious Guards leapt into the room, staves at the ready. This was, after all, the apartment of a dangerous suspect, accused of inciting mass murder. You couldn't be too careful.

Close to a minute later, the Guards realized their suspect wasn't home. Two of them began to conduct a sweep of the apartment, while the third pulled out his two-way radio and flipped it on before muttering, "This place is empty. There's no sign that the suspect returned to it after escaping at the train station."

"Damn it. Keep looking," the police captain replied. Nodding, the other monster shut off his radio and joined the search.

If there was once something to find, it was long gone, without a clue to its whereabouts being found. There was the rack of suits, a few assorted magic and trap cubes (the usual Red Medicines and Wabokus, along with a stock of Swords of Deep-Seated), a folded Phantom Strike cloth, and a fridge of box lunches. Nothing even close to explaining the charges could be found.

The only thing of interest, which one of the Mysterious Guards found on the nightstand, showed their suspect - Witty Phantom #15A, formerly of the Soul Processing Block 1-H - posing for the camera with an Ogre of the Black Shadow in front of the Blue Nemuriko. Within an hour, Ogre of the Black Shadow #9B was wanted for questioning.

An uncertain amount of time passed. Staring at the stage, working on his twentieth whiskey (fiends like him only got drunk when they wanted to), Fifteen heard a familiar cobbling noise. Then a voice, one that sounded like it had just escaped its tomb, spoke up: "Wanna buy some Stim-Packs... oh, it's you again!"

Looking down, Fifteen let out a tremendous sigh. A Skull Servant had once again found him... and judging by the caulk between its skull and neck, it was exactly the same one from the train station. "What are you doing in this bar, you waste of calcium?"

"I was going to ask the same," the sniveling undead muttered. "This is my hangout, not yours. By the way..." It cackled slightly. "What's it like, being a wanted criminal?"

Unconsciously, Fifteen's hand swung back, only to bounce off the air in front of the Skull Servant's skull. As he rubbed his hand, the skeleton snickered and held up a pendant around his neck. "The Heart of Clear Water!" it snorted. "Makes me impervious to all attack."

Noting the activity at the end of the bar, Tessia pressed a small button concealed behind the liquor bottles. There was a gust of wind, and the Heart of Clear Water exploded. All parties blinked, and then the sound of Fifteen cracking his knuckles was audible over the music.

Thirty seconds later, a skull went flying out the door, bits of caulk still clinging to the bottom. Its body was pitched out thirty seconds after that. The Warrior Dai Greipher merely smirked.

The Swamp Battleguard returned to his position as Fifteen returned to his whiskey. Sidling up to him from the other side of the bar, Tessia asked, "He a friend of yours?"

"Hardly. That makes three times in two days I've decapitated him. Pity it isn't permanent. Was he right about coming here often?"

The other bartender, the bald man in the labcoat, joined them and snorted. "Yes, but we've thrown him out every time for pushing Stim-Packs. If it weren't for the fact that they don't listen, we'd have called the cops on him months ago. My name's Cordner, by the way."

"Interesting name," Fifteen muttered.

"Thanks. Wish I remembered where I got it." There was a pause, as the Magicial Scientist studied Fifteen's aura, and then he smiled. Fifteen realized the other monster hadn't seen any wanted posters recently. "Just relax and make yourself at home... assuming you have a home..."

Fifteen grunted and said, "I used to." He then turned to Tessia and asked, "If I may pry, how long have you known that Witch of the Black Forest?"

The Magician of Faith giggled yet again, explaining, "Naomi's my roommate. She picked me up after my apartment was infested with Kuribohs and I couldn't afford an exterminator. She's a nice girl, but kind of shy. Good with magic cubes - she works at one of the factories. Guild-approved, too."

"Guild-approved, huh?" The Witty Phantom looked to the female in question, who had returned to her tablets after the initial greeting rush. Guild approval - which allowed monsters the right to create and sell magic cubes - was rare among Level Fours; either Naomi was very good at her job or she had connections. The Big Eye Fifteen had lived with had worked in a Magic factory, but hadn't had approval; it died in an Overdrive accident without even taking the exam. He then asked, "If she has approval, why does she still work in a factory instead of a shop?"

"You know how expensive it is to set up a shop anymore?" Tessia replied. "Besides, she likes the factory - there are several of her kind in there, and nobody bothers her about having a name."

Fifteen - who had begun to grow self-conscious about still going by his number - nodded, and then turned to Cordner and asked, "Do you have a phone here?"

Three figures moved down the hallway of the Level Four Beast-Warrior Living Complex. One floated, the others walked. The one who floated stopped in front of a certain door and concentrated. Turning to the taller of the two figures that walked, it thought, _This is the one. Take the shape I described to you._

Bowing, the figure began to change. Its hands shrank and grew smooth, its clothes became a purple suit, and the mirror that was its head collapsed, transforming. After a minute or so, it was the spitting image of a Witty Phantom. Another minute and its aura changed. Now it matched the Witty Phantom known as Fifteen in every way possible except its thoughts.

The floating figure receded, pulling back on a leash that restrained the Amphibian Beast at its side. _Do as I told you,_ it thought to the shapeshifter.

Pounding on the door, the faux-Fifteen shouted, "Nine, let me in! The cops are after me, you have to help me!" It then turned and ran, changing shape again as it moved.

There was a clicking noise, and then the door swung open. The Ogre of the Black Shadow leaned out and yelled, "Fifteen! That y-"

His flesh ripped under the Amphibian Beast's claws just before the creature tore out his throat. There was an explosion of triangles.

The floating figure now focused its mind, and the beast was sedated as it picked up the leash. The shapeshifter moved into the apartment, examining the shelves. Just as the floating figure followed it, the phone rang. "I'll get it," the shapeshifter said.

"Nine! Are you there?" was the first thing the shapeshifter heard. Its reply, in a voice like cracking glass, was only nine words.

"We're sorry. The person you are calling is dead."

It then slammed down the phone and broke into maniacal laughter.

The phone dangled in Fifteen's hands for a moment before he set down the receiver. "What the hell was that?" he asked himself.

A hand clutched his shoulder, and the Witty Phantom spun to see the Lava Battleguard bouncer holding a wanted poster. He could sense a copy of his aura radiating from it. "You the one on this poster?" the beast-warrior asked.

With a soul-draining sigh, Fifteen replied, "I'm afraid so." He began to plan his next moves in anticipation of being thrown out of the bar.  
Instead of grabbing his collar and pitching Fifteen into the street, as was expected, the Lava Battleguard turned to Cordner and grunted, "He's the one, boss. Should I pop the hatch?"

"Not yet, Tempus," the Magical Scientist said, turning back to the glass of rum he was pouring. The Kojikocy he was pouring it for merely snorted. Seeing this, the fiend realized there was more going on in the Missing Number than he thought there was. He moved from behind the bar and looked for Tessia, eventually finding her putting up another one of the wanted posters; looking around, he realized they were a major part of the decor.

"I wonder who they get to draw these things," he muttered both to himself and to her, studying the almost blocky features of the poster's Witty Phantom. "Either way, why am I not being thrown out on my rear?"

Tessia giggled oncemore - Fifteen wondered if her clothes were tickling her - beforestepping back from her pasting work. She replied, "This place is neutral territory - the cops never come in, and in return we don't let in anything that could be a threat. That's why we don't let anything over Level Six into this bar. Either way, my shift's over..."

Fifteen interrupted her with, "This early?"

"It's been four hours," she retorted. "By the way, your tab is now about a hundred bucks. How's your friend?"

"I don't know. Either he's dead or his phone's disconnected." Fifteen felt a slight pang of regret at the possibility of Nine's death. Although the two had never gotten close, fiends rarely make many friends, and Nine had proven to be someone worth talking to - a rarity in the Central Shadow Realm.

Tessia frowned and then said, "That's too bad. So... If you don't have any place to stay, Naomi and I have a couch in the apartment you can crash on."

"Are you sure about that?" Fifteen asked, head tilting. "Wouldn't people get the wrong idea if you have a male fiend living in your place?"

"I'm Level One, Fifteen," Tessia replied with a huff. "We don't have much dignity to begin with, so you might as well stay with me."

"Point taken. In that case, why not?" A loud creaking noise was heard, and the Witty Phantom jumped before turning and spotting a long, clean tunnel opening next to the restrooms. "What's that?"

The question was answered by Cordner, who said, "This is the escape hatch. It leads to the heart of the Level Four Spellcaster Living Complex, and we use it when one of our customers is in less than perfect condition with the law. That happens to be most of the low-leveled clientele here..." He shook his head and then went on, "Odds are good none of them would get fair treatment if the police caught them, so we use this escape tunnel to get them out without having to pass by the main train station - it's where the police wait for them. Now, hurry along - I don't want to let flies into this thing, it's hard to scrub them out!"

Tessia and Naomi had already started walking down it, so Fifteen pulled his hat back up and followed them into the tunnel. The door shut behind them, and Cordner pulled the false wallpaper back down.

Examining the wreckage left in what was once Nine's apartment, the Unfriendly Amazon #A-737 shook her head and sighed. Several of the other denizens of the Level Four Beast-Warrior Living Complex had heard loud noises coming from the apartment, but by the time anyone got there, all that was left were small, quick-melting shards of the Ogre of the Black Shadows that once lived here. Which left the police with little to go on.

Ay-Seven-Three-Seven (she preferred to go by Aysev) was a detective with the Central Shadow Realm Police Force, a rank even most Level Sixes never reached. This signified that she was one of the force's best... and today, she was staring at a crime scene that seemed likely to make all that utterly meaningless.

The reason? No aura evidence. None. Even the most well-prepared murderers always left a hint of their aura behind, and while hints didn't allow full identification, they were a good starting point. Whoever had taken out the Ogre of the Black Shadows knew what they were doing.

Aysev couldn't answer the most naggling question in her mind: why? Who would kill such an insignificant monster? She had done a quick scan in the city's records on her (still relatively new) personal notebook computer, and the late #9B was as nondescript as an ogre could get - just another construction worker. All that left was a personal vendetta, and he had no known enemies. There was nothing to go on.

Across the room, Aysev's partner, a Sasuke Samurai ID#G-481 (she called him Geefor), had finished searching the downed bookshelf. Whoever had reason to kill Nine had left the place an absolute mess. "Nothing here, Aysev," he called over.

"They're going to eat my badge for this," she muttered under her breath. The Central Shadow Realm Police Force had no mercy for failures. Audibly, she called back to Geefor, "Keep searching! There's got to be something in this mess!"

Nodding, Geefor went over the nightstand and then stopped. Taking a tongs from his sheath (having no use for a sword in this job), he picked up a thin piece of cloth next to the phone. Aysev saw this and dashed over, giving it a quick look. It was a Witty Phantom's attack cloth.

The two-way on Aysev's waist went off with the police captain's voice, "All personnel! This is an All Points Bulletin! Be on the lookout for a Witty Phantom with the aura 15A! He's wanted on charges of inciting mass murder in last night's Blue Nemuriko killings! He may be in the company of an Ogre of the Black Shadows with the aura 9B! Repeat, this is an All Poin-"

Grabbing the radio, Aysev flipped it on and said, "This is A-737 in L-4 B-W. I'm in 9B's apartment - he's already dead, and I think I know who did it..."

A short walk and three flights of stairs later, Fifteen was standing in an apartment in the Level Four Spellcaster Living Complex. It was tastefully decorated, but much of the furnishing was out of style, and the rest was old - the signs of someone who could afford to live this way, but not afford to do very much of it. Tessia was over to one side, adjusting the couch into its "bed" form. And Naomi...

Naomi was correcting a tilted picture of a Lady of Faith. Spotting this, Fifteen walked up beside her, saying, "Odd choice of decor." She blushed furiously.

Tessia came up on Fifteen's other side and said, "That's Liselle, one of Naomi's coworkers. They're both saving up their money..."

"For what, a better apartment?" Fifteen asked. Naomi blushed even more, her third eye blinking rapidly - apparently out of embarassment.

Tessia grabbed Fifteen's collar and turned his face towards hers as she finished. "...for a Polymerization cube."  
Suddenly Fifteen understood. The rarest form of magic cube was Polymerization, the fusion trigger. The reason it was so rare was because of the materials required to make it - some of which could only be found in Toon World, others which could only be found in the Dragon Lairs. But many monsters wanted it, because fusion was a time-honored way to get up the social ladder in the Central Shadow Realm.

Naomi finally found the strength to speak, whispering, "When I met Liselle, she told me that she'd dreamed of being a Musician King, and none of the other Witches had wanted to fuse with her... Once we're fused, we'll be as one,and we'll never have to worry about anti-name groups again..."

"You think it's bad living in Level Four apartments?" Tessia was saying behind him. "Try being Level One. If Naomi hadn't found me, I'd still be in that Kuribo nest and wishing I was dead."

Not for the first time in Fifteen's life, the name Witty Phantom didn't suit him - he had no clue what to say. The awkwardness was broken up as Tessia said, "Good night," and headed off to the bedroom. Naomi followed, and Fifteen was left alone. Taking off his hat, he set it on a coatrack and threw himself onto the couch, which creaked in response. Closing his eyes, he ran through the day's events in his mind, trying to figure out the exact moment his life turned the wrong corner.

In the Central Shadow Realm Police Headquarters, Aysev was busily filling out paperwork, as Gefoor went in for debriefing. At a new apartment down the hall from his predescessor's, Witty Phantom #15B was settling in. In the Missing Number bar, the business was beginning to settle into its nightly rhythm. The last of the night trains pulled into the depot, on the edge of Central Shadow Realm space.

And a tall, floating figure, leading a snarling Amphibian Beast, floated past the Level Four Spellcaster Living Complex. Looking into a specific apartment, it gave a low chuckle before floating off.


	4. Ready For Intercepting

No matter how hard he tried, Fifteen couldn't sleep. He rolled ceaselessly on the couch-turned-bed until finally part of him gave up and developed an ache, thus driving him to his feet. Surrendering to his insomnia, the Witty Phantom turned on a light and searched for something to do.

He found it in a bookshelf, covering part of the wall. One finger ran along the spines of the books, running past the books of magic that he'd never understand in a thousand lifetimes and the various pulp romances he'd expected to find, given Tessia's nature. Eventually, it stopped on the spine of the Master Collection of Myths and Histories, a favorite of Fifteen's. He took it down, sat back on the bed, and flipped through the pages.

As usual, creation myths were the first chapter. Skipping one that started, "In the beginning came the Gods" - he wasn't interested in Godbanger theology tonight - and the poem that opened with, "From above the sky came the Great Beast" - he'd learned that one by heart - he finally settled on the one he liked, and began to read it.

"In the beginning, a wall of light and a pool of darkness faced each other. The light burned at the darkness, and the darkness swallowed the light. Soon, a demon with the face of a skull rose from the pool, and a woman with four feathered wings descended from the wall. The demon threw his black lightning and the woman unleashed her holy fire. So began the war of the Fiends and the Fairies.

"Others came from both sides, and the war waged on. Whenever a fiend or a fairy fell, more rose from their bodies and joined the fray. In the fighting, the wall crumbled, losing its light, and the pool was churned and mixed. Soon, the elements began to form. From the wall came the earth; from the pool came the water; from the first demon's lightning came the wind, and from the woman's holy flames came the fire.

"The demon and the woman ceased their fighting, seeing it was pointless, and mutually turned their attention to crafting a world from the fallen elements. The demon clawed at his own flesh, and a swarm of insects flew from his wounds; from his blood formed reptiles and dinosaurs. The woman kissed the land, and from her kiss came plants; she swirled her hand in the waters, and the fish came into being. Some of the fish drank the demon's blood, and became the sea serpents. Taking earth in her hands, the woman crafted beasts; the demon bled on some, and they gained flight, becoming winged beasts.

"From the remnants of the fallen fiends and fairies, the demon and the winged woman created the warriors and the beast warriors. The two groups set to fighting, and when one died it rose again as a zombie. The demon and woman took some of the warriors aside and taught them the arts of magic, thus creating the spellcasters.  
"But then from the skies descended the dragons, both winged and wingless. They sought to destroy that which they felt profaned the world that had sprung up. So another war began, between the dragons and the beings of this new world. And the dragons were forced back, far back.

"And so the line was drawn; the Dragon Territories housed the dragons, and the Shadow Realm was created..."

Fifteen reread the passage and realized he hadn't missed anything. There wasn't a word on machines; they were the one thing that the story didn't explain. In fact, no one was sure where the machines had come from; they were relatively new.

Opening a window, the Witty Phantom stared out across the Level Four Spellcaster Living Quarters. It was said that, no matter where you were in the Central Shadow Realm, you could see the Council Quarters; it was in the very center of the Central Shadow Realm. Tonight proved that saying correct, at least from this apartment. Looking up, he saw the lights above the Shadow Council were on, meaning a meeting was in progress. Resting his chin on his hand, Fifteen wondered what it was like up there, in a moment of envy.

The Shadow Council met in a gigantic, circular room, with a row of seats and microphones around the edges. At the front of the room was one gigantic chair, wherein sat the erstwhile Head of the Council. Another row of seats sat just before the door; there sat those who had a spot on the agenda, but weren't, in fact, Council members. Tonight, all the member's seats but one was filled; the empty one belonged to Mr. Volcano, Pyro and Thunder representative, who had caught a severe cold while out of his heated quarters.

In the giant's seat at the front, the head of the Council rubbed his eyes with his fingertips. No one had ever challenged his position, and that was because no one dared face his power. For Exodia the Forbidden One was the head of the Council, and had filled that role for time immemorial. He was the deciding vote, as his vote counted quintuple, and he alone determined what would come before the Council or not. And he had developed a hideous migrane over the years. Turning to the stenographer, a Disk Magician who had all of the Council's words on his disk, he asked in his booming voice, "What was last said?"

The Disk Magician answered, and Exodia once again thought that the robot's voice sounded like a rewinding tape reel. "The Summoned Skull was discussing the proliferation of low-leveled Zombies in the Fiend Living Quarters."

"Ah, yes," the Head of the Council replied before turning back to the Council floor. "It is still your floor, Kalvelos."

The skull-faced demon nodded and resumed, "As I was saying before the dinner break, crimes committed by low-level Zombies account for over half of the petty crimes in the Fiend Living Quarters each year. I ask you, Pumpking, why are these creatures even in our district?"

"I do not take responsibility for the actions of those creatures," the King of Ghosts said, raising its form out of its seat. Ectoplasm dribbled dangerously near to the notes of the Beast and Winged Beast representative, who proceeded to yank his papers away. "The Zombie Habitation Quarters being as crowded as it is, doubtless a few will leak out from time to time, but they seem harmless..."

It was cut off by a voice from the back, as a Queen's Double (the Low-Level Monster Advocate) stood on her chair and shouted, "Do you even bother to try to improve their unliving standards?"

"The floor will not recognize the Low-Level Monster Advocate at this time," Exodia said, silencing the room. "Now return to your seat." The Queen's Double did so with a huff. After a moment, a light went back on in front of Pumpking, indicating it was its floor again.

It continued, "As I said, they seem harmless enough. Petty crime will continue to rise regardless of what we do. It is the job of of the police to maintain such order in your district, Kalvelos. Ask them why crime is still rising."

A light flashed on in front of a Frontier Wiseman, the Police Force Representative. Taking his hand off the Request Turn button, he spoke, "Currently, the majority of our efforts are going towards uncovering and apprehending the one responsible for the Blue Nemuriko massacre two days ago. In addition, there are murder cases in several different parts of the Shadow Realm, to say nothing of the apparent turning rogue of one of our own. Our resources are too strained to focus on such small crimes as the ones in the Fiend Living Quarters".

"Explanation accepted," the Summoned Skull said as he shook his head.

Under his breath, Exodia sighed. He was the oldest monster in the room, predating the creation of the Central Shadow Realm itself. He had ruled as an absolute monarch at first, and then as the Head of the Council once it was formed. He had seen the city survive floods, famine, the Second Dragon War, the Coming of the Great Leviathan, the Time of the Spirits, the Day of Zorc, and a thousand other major and minor disasters.

Whether it survived bureacracy was anyone's guess.

"The floor now turns to Escalus," the Disc Magician announced, "for a report on progress in the Blue Nemuriko case."

The Frontier Wiseman nodded and opened his notebook. "Recent discoveries," he said, "have lead us to believe that the Witty Phantom spotted at the crime scene was responsible for several other murders in the past few days. Most recently, an Ogre of the Black Shadow who was known to be in the Blue Nemuriko with him was found slain in his apartment." He sighed, and then continued, "Given that the fiend in question has a history of controlling others - his aura was found at the scene of the police massacre two days ago - and is a suspect in several killings, the Central Shdow Realm Police Force requests that Gaia be released."

The Council gasped as one, and then worried conversation filled the air. The Queen's Double jumped on her podium and yelled, "If it was a Level Five doing the killing, would you jump to Gaia so quickly? Would yo-"

"Ophelia!" The interruption had come from Sellick, the Beast and Winged Beast Representative. "Sit down! I know it seems a little drastic to call out the Fierce Knight, but I don't think they have a choice..."

A cackle came from the Legendary Fisherman, who said, "You bet your soul it's drastic! At most, he's got what, ten killings to his record? What good is risking all our necks by calling out the Fierce Knight?"

The room was set to silence when Exodia slammed one mighty fist on his podium. The Forbidden One shouted, "Order! Order! Let us act with dignity!" Sitting down, he continued, "Escalus, I have considered the options... and I have no choice but to concur. Tomorrow evening, I shall release Gaia to hunt down the Witty Phantom in question. What is his aura?"

"15A."

Out of the corner of his eye, Exodia saw the Spellcaster Representative shaking his head.

There was an explosion in the Fiend Living Complex. A certain apartment housing a certain Witty Phantom detonated, throwing shards of glass and pieces of flaming concrete as far as the train station.

Down the street, the apartment's erstwhile inhabinant was fleeing for his life. One hand held down his hat, and his jacket fluttered as he ran at top speed from his attacker. Not sure where he was going, the Witty Phantom kept running. Soon he was in the center of the Living Quarters.

And his attacker was standing before him, bouncing a Sword of Deep-Seated on his palm. The blade flashed, and a long red line appeared on the victim's chest.

"Why?" the mortally wounded Witty Phantom muttered, collapsing to the stones. Before he lost consciousness, he heard one sentence.

"You stole my job!"

Confirming that his target was dead, the murderer headed towards a pay phone, his features melting and running together as he walked. Soon, he was a completely different creature - a Crass Clown. One portly hand retrieved the phone, while the other tapped in the emergency number. A high, squeaky voice spoke into the mouthpiece, "I have a murder to report! A Witty Phantom was just killed on Skrell Avenue. The killer was..."

Morning broke over the Shadow Realm, causing the Kuribohs to emerge from their nests and set about to scavenging once more. Fifteen had fallen asleep over the book, which was opened to, "The Tale of the Buster Blader". There was a loud thump at the apartment's door, which cause his heartrate to spike before he remembered that Spellcasters had paper delivery. (After a series of unfortunate deaths, paper delivery had ceased in the Fiend Living Complexes.)

After fighting with the latch, he opened the door and picked up the Central Shadow Realm Times, the only newspaper in the Shadow Realm. To his shock, he was on the front page.

The newspaper under one arm, Fifteen, in a daze, opened and raided Naomi and Tessia's refrigerator. Thankfully, neither of them were health food maniacs, and so he managed to find a breakfast bar amid the various food items. Ripping the packaging open with his teeth, he spat out the foil, and then took his hat from the coatrack and slipped it back onto his head. With that, he sat down on the couch/bed and opened the paper.

Two minutes later, Naomi and Tessia both woke up to a loud scream of, "WHAT?" This scream was followed by, "HOW?", which was followed in turn by a mournful shout of, "WHY?" Both Spellcasters were awake and dressed in a matter of a few minutes.

When Tessia entered the main room a few moments later, both the newspaper and the breakfast bar had slipped from Fifteen's hands, and the Witty Phantom was staring at the wall, occasionally muttering the word, "No..." Naomi picked up the paper and started to read:

"'Another monster has fallen victim to the Blue Nemuriko suspect. Witty Phantom 15B, who came into being after Witty Phantom 15A was fired, was killed on Skrell Street in the Fiend Living Complex. While no aura traces were found, a Crass Clown reported that a subject with an aura matching 15A was responsible,'" she read. Then, after whispering, "Oh, my...", she continued: "'This murder took place mere minutes after the Shadow Council decided to activate and release Gaia the Fierce Knight to hunt the suspect down. The release will take place tonight...' Oh, Fifteen..."

The Witty Phantom put his head in his hands and muttered, "I was here all night. I swear it. How the hell did that Crass Clown determine it was me? They're framing me... and now they're letting Gaia out... I'm screwed!"

One of Tessia's arms slid around Fifteen's shoulders as she shook her head. "It's not that bad," she tried to say.

"'Not that bad'? The last time they let him out, he came back with his target's head strapped to his horse!"

"Well, if you stay here, he probably won't find you. I don't think they even know where you are..."

Aysev punched a wall and shouted, "Where IS he?"

The reason for the Unfriendly Amazon's rage was simple. Once again, there was nothing there. No aura traces whatsoever. Nothing to go on. And now that Gaia was on the hunt, she had even more of a reason to worry - if Gaia caught the perp before she did, her badge was just so much shiny metal. Damn the Shadow Council!

Catching her breath, the detective headed back to where the preserved body of the unfortunate Witty Phantom was laying. Thankfully, the Settle Team had gotten there before the body had shattered, and it was coated in a thin layer of preservative. Fiends had a longer shatter time than most monsters, and the body had just begun to go unstable when the preservative was applied. So she had a corpse to work with, unlike the Ogre of the Black Shadows. Too bad there was nothing resembling an aura on this one.

"Subject: Witty Phantom 15B. Age: 2 days," Geefor was muttering into his recorder. His tongs probed into the fatal wound. "Cause of death: sword slash to the chest. Depth of wound..." Shutting off the recorder, he looked into the wound, and his nonchalance about peering into it caused Aysev to feel nauseous. The recorder switched on. "Depth of wound hard to determine. There seems to be multiple cuts on the way in, as if the murderer carved his way back and forth. But the surface of the wound makes it clear that the fatal wound was delivered with a single hard swipe..."

Something about that rang a bell in Aysev's head. She turned to Geefor and asked, "Do you think it could have been an Equip? I seem to recall a weapon with that sort of characteristics."

Geefor looked up, those overly large eyes appearing startled, then snapped his fingers and turned the recorder on again. "The wound now makes sense. The fatal blow must have come from a Sword of Deep-Seated - the blade of such a weapon bears serrations on the sides, which would account for the odd cuts on the wound."

Taking out her notebook computer, Aysev powered it up and flipped through the files until she found what she was looking for. "The inventory on what they found in the suspect's apartment shows he had five Sword of Deep-Seated cubes in his closet. My guess is that he took a few with him when he left." Shutting the computer off, the Unfriendly Amazon sighed. "Now if we knew where to look, we'd actually have something..."

Her partner had ceased paying attention to her, instead noting, "Oddly, the victim is missing his Phantom Strike cloth..."

Raelvion, spokesmen for the Spellcasters on the Central Shadow Realm Council (better known as the Shadow Council), adjusted his hair, and then gently placed his hat on the dummy head next to his mirror. As a Council member, everything rolled on his physical appearance, and being a Dark Magician in particular, he had to take very good care of his clothes or risk being ridiculed. He remembered once when a Sorcerer of Dark Magic appeared before the Council without his hat. It had proven disastrous, and the Sorcerer's petition died right there and then.

"Will you be going out tonight, sir?" The voice was slightly cheery, with a hint of exasperation. Raelvion knew who it was without even checking. A Rogue Doll had served him since as far back as he could remember. This was the seventeenth one to serve him, the others having entered the Graveyards in their time. Her number was M-RD17, but she had served him so well that he had given her a name.

"Not tonight, Tilde, but thank you for asking. Take the night off, if you'd like." He turned to examine her. Yes, she looked like she needed a break. The maid's apron she wore (out of custom) was all but tattered to Hell. Her arms hung limply at her side when she wasn't using them, and the light in her eyes was dimmed over. How much of it was exaggeration he couldn't tell.

"Thank you, sir. I'd like a night off."

"Tilde, out of curiousity, where do you go when you have a night off?" Sliding the shoulder pads out of his robe, he proceeded to shove new ones into place. They tended to wear out every few months.

Tilde would have blushed if dolls could blush. "I... I usually go to the Crashed Hangar, in the Machine Quarter. It's just a better place for my kind than a place like the Blue Nemuriko would be. But I would hardly suggest it to you, sir."

Sitting down, Raelvion sprayed a cloth with polish and began to work a dull spot out of his staff; even being mystical metal, it still tarnished now and then. "Why, because it's too far beneath my lofty station as a Council member?" he teased her.

"No, it's because I'm somewhat convinced that they water down their drinks." Tilde removed and folded her maid's apron.

At this, Raelvion laughed. Tilde had the ability, sometimes, to counter him rather harshly. This was one of those times. Reaching into one of his robe pockets, he tossed a bundle of cash to her. "Take a Labyrinth Tank, it's safer than the night trains."

One long-fingered hand caught the money, and as he'd expected, she seemed much better. "Thank you, sir. Have a pleasant evening." With that, Tilde floated out of the room.

Waiting until she was gone, the Dark Magician pulled a long canvas robe out of one of his dresser drawers. As much as he hated lying to Tilde, he couldn't let her know what he was up to - she would panic.

A Labyrinth Tank left the Council Lower Quarter a minute later. Another one left a few minutes after that.

It didn't have a name. Names were liabilities to a creature such as it.

Nor did it have a number. Once, numbers were given to its kind, but they took so many different forms that keeping track of them was an impossibility. Now they were just referred to by the name of their kind.

Currently, it was in the shape of a Celtic Guardian - generic enough not to ask questions, threatening enough to keep people out of its way. And it was area-appropriate, as well. In all, perfect... or so it thought as it wandered down the center street in the Warrior Living Complex.

At exactly ten o' clock, the creature slid into a side alley, one obscured by magic. As it did so, it shifted form again, turning into the one most natural to it... Forever holding a mirror in front of its face, fingers like small pendulums, it was unmistakable. Sensing its master in the shadows, the creature spoke. "Copycat reporting, sir."

_Very good_, the voice of its master replied. _Have you done as I ordered?_

"The Witty Phantom 15B is dead, sir," the Copycat said. "And as ordered, I retrieved the Phantom Strike cloth." It reached into a pocket of skin and took out a carefully folded piece of cloth, which it set on the stones in front of it. "What are your orders now?"

A snarl came from the shadows, and the cloth was drawn away by the master's other servant... the pet. A flame of jealousy lit in the Copycat's mind. But then the master's words entered his mind: _You are to go to the Level Four Spellcaster Living Complex. Disguise yourself as a Skilled Black Magician and enter apartment 464. Take out the apartment's current owner, and then stay under cover until further notice. Whatever you do, do not make a move against our decoy. Do you understand?_

"Yes, sir," the Copycat said, saluting. Turning back into the Celtic Guardian, it left the alley, mentally cursing. Why, just why did the master insist on letting that worthless Witty Phantom live?

The day passed, quietly and swiftly. Fifteen had adapted to being housebound, knowing that if he left the apartment he risked being arrested and/or shot. Tessia had the early shift at the Missing Number (it only closed one hour each day, and that was for cleaning), and Naomi had her job at the Magic Factory. So they had appointed him the apartment sitter, and he had few complaints.

It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when the knock came at the door. Fifteen was busily alphabetizing the bookshelf, and silently cursed the interruption. After checking to make sure his Smoke Grenade of the Thief cube was primed, he answered the door... and promptly had a pamphlet shoved into his hands.

The shover was a Hysteric Angel, one whose glasses were a little askew, and he was shouting, "Hello, sir! My number is H-364, and I was wondering if you were aware that the Gods will return! Please take this pamphlet, and ask yourself if you're read-" The sentence was cut off when the apartment door slammed into the fairy's face, throwing his glasses across the hall.

After cutting off the Godbanger's pitch, Fifteen flipped through the pamphlet. As usual, it was page after page of Godbanger propaganda - the usual "Ra creates,Obelisk maintains,Slifer destroys" cycle garbage, with a section on rumors of the Fourth God - and, of course, a coupon for free entry into one of their churches (normally, a ten-dollar "offering" was required). Fiends have little interest in theology as a whole, being widely considered the damned, so Fifteen tossed the pamphlet into the wastebasket and sighed. All in all, slamming the door on the Hysteric Angel had proven to be the most exciting thing to happen all day.

There was a loud noise from next door. Curiousity piqued, he stepped into the hall.

Moving into the apartment was a simple task for the shapeshifter. It had merely knocked on the door, waited three seconds, and then pumped two shots from a silenced Sparks gun into the Skilled Black Magician that had answered. The spellcaster had shattered in mere moments, but to the Copycat's annoyance he had knocked over a table as he fell.

Immediately assuming his shape, it swept the shards into a corner to melt naturally before righting the table. A voice from the door asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I am. Just a minor leg cramp!" it answered cheerfully. The interloper was satisfied with this response, and as he left the Copycat took a look at him.

What a surprise. It was Witty Phantom D-15A, the scapegoat. It was just like the master to tell its servant, Do not make a move, and then dangle such a thing under its nonexistant nose. How the Copycat would have loved to strangle him to death! But it couldn't disobey. Not yet.

The master still had use for this fiend, weak and worthless as he was. The Copycat needed to stay in cover. There would be a right moment. And when that moment came, the Witty Phantom would die...


	5. Cavalry

The time was approximentally twenty minutes after seven, and the place was deep underneath the Central Shadow Realm. A heavy steel door sat there, undisturbed for a decade. It shifted aside with one flex of the Forbidden One's muscles.

Behind the door, there was a small room, almost entirely taken up by the Fierce Knight. A Shadow Spell held him in stasis, and he stared blankly at nothing, dangling from the spell's chains. He was still mounted atop his warhorse, which also enwrapped by the chains. The knight was flanked by two statues, each holding one of his lances. The only light in the room came from a torch, held by Exodia's aide, a La Jinn.

Stepping into the room, the Council Head sighed and held up a magic cube, a Heavy Storm. He clicked it on, and a hurricane filled the small chamber. The Shadow Spell's chains rattled and then shattered, causing the knight to slump onto his horse; the horse buckled, but did not fall, under the newly applied weight. A moment passed, and then he lifted his head, staring directly into Exodia's eyes.

"Ahhh... Exodia..." Gaia whispered, his voice thin and strained from years of unuse. "How long has passed... since our last meeting?"

Even as his aide shuddered and turned away, Exodia didn't move, instead looking back into Gaia's eyes. "Ten years, I believe."

There was a weak chuckle from the knight as he pulled himself upright in the saddle. "Ten years... the scratches on my armor tell the tale. Oh, how low I've sunk..." The long-absent mocking tone returned to Gaia's voice. "How could you do this to your friend, Exodia? We fought, side by side, against the Dragons together... you and me... in the Second Dragon War..."

"True enough," replied the Forbidden One as he took a key from his belt. "But once the dragons fled, you turned on your own soldiers. You killed five hundred innocent monsters before I caught you." The key slid into a hole on the first statue's head, and it released the lance in its hand.

Gaia caught the lance as it fell, chuckling again. "You're right about that... I didn't want the war to end... but that's behind us now. Why am I free this time?"

As he freed the other lance, which Gaia caught, Exodia explained, "We've got a serial killer in the Central Shadow Realm. He killed three people in a small bar, and he's murdered his way through the city. The killer is a Witty Phantom, with the aura 15A. You're the last option we can think of. If you bring him down, we will discuss your permanent release."

The knight's chuckle evolved into a full-blown sarcastic laugh. "You used that deal... last time," the Fierce Knight growled. "And once I had brought you the head of... the Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi... you hit me with your Shadow Spell and dragged me back here. Why... should I trust you now?"

There was silence, and then Exodia walked away. Before following his master, the La Jinn set something on the floor, then turned and exited himself.

One lance impaled the paper that the La Jinn had left behind, and Gaia looked it over. It was a wanted poster, with a Witty Phantom on it. Examining the aura, the knight smiled behind his mask. If nothing else, he'd at least have some fun with this one.

"Ha, Sleipnir!" the Fierce Knight called, spurring his horse to activity. It reared up, and then charged out of the room.

A few minutes later, Gaia the Fierce Knight was on the streets of the Central Shadow Realm once more. Sensing for the aura, he galloped towards the Level Four Spellcaster Living Quarters.

**0000000**

In Tessia's apartment, a game of cards had developed. Fifteen stared at his hand, wondering which cards to keep and which to throw. To his left, Naomi had her third eye open and blinking, a sign of concentration; across from him, Tessia moved a card from one side to the other of her hand; to his right, an Ancient Elf that Naomi had brought home with her was rubbing at his eyes, apparently not sure what to do either. Finally, all involved set three cards down and pushed them to their left.

Damn, Fifteen thought. He'd gotten the Queen of Spades.

There was a knock at the door, and Fifteen set down his hand, feeling his heart rate spike. Pushing back his chair, he slowly moved towards the door, and then sprang forward and threw it open, ready to flee.

"Greetings, neighbor," said the Skilled Black Magician from next door. "Could I borrow some sugar?"

Tessia got up from her chair to retrieve the sugar, as Fifteen readjusted his hat and tried to get himself back under some degree of control, turning away from the door. There was then a loud cry from the Skilled Black Magician...

...and when Fifteen turned back to the door, Gaia the Fierce Knight was standing over an groaning mage, horse snorting and lances at the ready. There was a brief moment where nobody moved.

This moment ended when Gaia shouted, "Die!" and thrust one of his lances forward. The resulting blast of energy took out the card table and sent the deck flying. By the time the cards had settled, Fifteen was out the window.

Hitting the street hard, Fifteen fell onto his side, ankles throbbing in pain. Trying to will himself to his feet, the Witty Phantom pondered why the Fierce Knight had found him so quickly. According to the papers, the knight's resting place was under the Council Lower Quarter...

The question was answered when he looked up, and happened to see the knight's horse walking on air, the Ancient Elf's head swinging from its saddle.

**0000000**

Even with its powers in the current body, the Copycat had not anticipated an attack. When Gaia's lance struck it, it fell, nerves firing up in utter pain. Thankfully, the point of the lance hadn't touched it, so the shapeshifter would survive that encounter.

Forcing itself to stand, it looked upon the situation. Two pitifully weak (and female, it noted without interest) spellcasters were cowering in the corner, while a third spellcaster had drawn his staff and was trying to attack Gaia. The fight ended swiftly when Gaia impaled the foolish one, and then decapitated him, strapping the head to his saddle.

The master had never told it of Gaia's release! The Copycat clenched its fists, enraged at this turn of events. It couldn't let the decoy die like this... not while the master required its continued existence. But the order was to stay in cover, and so it couldn't change its form... Such a dilemma.

A sudden realization struck the Copycat, and it ran back into its own apartment. It rushed up to a drawer marked "Emergency" and yanked it out of the counter, spilling magic cubes everywhere. Some of these were gathered up, shoved into a bag, and hurled from the window.

**0000000**

The bag landed at Fifteen's side, and he quickly looked into it. He then silently admired his good luck.  
A whistling noise caused him to throw his prone body to one side, and Gaia's lance smashed into the concrete where he'd just lain. Pulling himself upside, Fifteen took off running, ignoring the pain in his feet. Spurring his horse, Gaia took off after him.

Fifteen threw himself at a fire escape, climbing up the ladder seconds before he realized he was heading to a dead end. Now on the metal platform, the Witty Phantom looked down and saw Gaia's horse leave the ground, running at him. One hand primed the Smoke Grenade of the Thief in his pocket.

Just as Gaia caught up to him, Fifteen triggered the magic cube. A blinding flash and a cloud of smoke filled the air, causing Gaia's horse to rear back, nearly throwing the Fierce Knight. Meanwhile, through the cube's effect, the fiend found himself on a rooftop. He resumed running, just as Gaia shouted, "You can't get away... I always know where you are!"

We'll see about that, Fifteen thought. He leapt onto another roof, and then another, not sure where to go. The only way to get out of the Level Four Spellcaster Living Quarters was by train, and the odds there'd be one at the station were relatively low. He heard the horse's hooves behind him and racked his brain hard enough to cause a headache.

Then a flash of insight came to him, and he scrambled down the fire escape of the next building he landed on.  
Scrambling up to the familiar Labyrinth Tank post, standing next to one of the apartment buildings, Fifteen jabbed the summon button. Nothing happened, and he stabbed at the button agan. When nothing happened that time, either, he cracked his knuckles and outright punched the button. A voice said, "Your aura matches one of the criminal auras stored in our database. Your summon request is denied." At that point, Fifteen kicked the post quite viciously.

**0000000**

There was a mad rush of activity in the Level Four Spellcaster Living Complex. Various monsters were either packing to leave, making arrangements with others for habitation, or simply panicking. It noted all this without concern, even as it made its way to the door. What worry did one who could take any shape have of Gaia the Fierce Knight?

The doors parted, and it concentrated. The form shifted, and then collapsed, pulling itself inward. Soon a rather large crow sat on the pavement in front of the Level Four Spellcaster Living Complex. It spread its wings and took off, drifting over the building.

As an updraft lifted the Copycat's avine body, it studied the landscape under it. At this height, it could see no sign of either the Witty Phantom or the Fierce Knight, and so it circled around the building, descending to get a closer view. Still nothing came to light, and it cursed its luck... until a flash of movement filled the corner of its eye.  
Staying out of range of the knight's lances, the Copycat-bird flew after the movement, soon arriving at one of the Labyrinth Tank stops.

**0000000**

The horse's hooves clicked on the pavement as Gaia rode up to his target, both lances at the ready. Fifteen could only watch, rubbing his sore foot - kicking a metal post not being one of the wisest things he could do. "Tell me, 15A, aren't you tired of running? You're locked within my mind... You can't get away. All you can do is wear yourselve out before I kill you."

"My body doesn't like to accept the inevitable," the Witty Phantom replied, stepping back a few feet. "So it seems that if running didn't work..." Instead of finishing the sentance, he took out another magic cube and activated it. The cube unfolded and inflated, turning into a long, serrated blade, a Sword of Deep-Seated. He could feel the familiar rush of power hitting his muscles, and shifted into a combat position.

Seeing this, the warrior burst into laughter, bent double in the saddle as he let out his mirth. Sitting up again, he held his side, saying between guffaws, "You must be kidding me! You know that you're running to your death, and yet you actually want to fight me... All right, then. But before we begin..." The knight's laughter came to a sudden stop, and he threw his famous lances to the ground, watching them bounce slightly. "I want to make this fight a little more even... just to keep it fun." Taking a magic cube from his saddlebag, Gaia activated it, causing a sword with a six-foot blade to flash into existance in his hand.

Fifteen winced. He'd expected Gaia to fight with his lances; he hadn't expected him to have a Legendary Sword. After a moment to reflect, he let out a cry of defiance and charged forward, blade drawn back. Once in range, he swung.

The Sword of Deep-Seated bounced off Gaia's Legendary Sword, and Fifteen was forced back. He then threw himself to the side, dodging under Gaia's counterattack. The whistling of the air informed him he'd just barely dodged the attack.

Spurring his horse, Gaia charged down the street, but then wheeled around and rushed back, bringing his sword around in a massive arc. Fifteen raised his blade to block, and was thrown a good five feet down the road. He struck the pavement hard, and swore that he'd cracked a rib on impact. Managing to get back to his feet, he heard another whistling noise and rolled to his right, barely avoiding decapitation.

Gaia's horse reared up and snorted, and the Fierce Knight laughed bitterly. "Even Sleipnir thinks you're a fool, fiend!" he called to Fifteen. "If you drop your blade, I'll..." Suddenly, the horse screamed and thrashed under Gaia, who had to fight to stay on. Looking down, the knight saw a long, shallow cut on his horse's flank.

"I'd suggest not getting distracted," Fifteen replied, wiping his blade on the Labyrinth Tank post. Moving in again, dodging the horse's hooves, he raised the Sword of Deep-Seated over his head and launched a double-handed strike.  
Before it could even reach Gaia, the warrior caught control of Sleipnir and swung his arm around, knocking Fifteen to the ground and forcing the air from his lungs. The fiend rolled back, moving out of reach of the Legendary Sword. He had done so just in time, as Gaia's attack struck, leaving a long crack in the pavement.

"Getting tired?" Gaia asked. Fifteen didn't answer, but he was hardly in any condition to do so had he wanted to. His grip on his sword was loosening... but he refused to drop it, knowing he was dead if he did.

A moment passed, and then Gaia shrugged, drawing back his blade There was a quiet whistling in the air, and then he swung... and a wave of energy split the air before it, heading straight for Fifteen. The Witty Phantom barely ducked in time, and the energy took out a building behind him, causing metal and concrete to rain down.

Gaia swung again, and Fifteen ran, being spun and thrown by the energy's tail end. Another swing, and Fifteen tried to block it. He was sent flying once again, slamming into the side of a small shop. The wall on either side of him erupted in a shower of brick and mortar. "I can do this all night if I want to, 15A," Gaia said. His horse snorted again, and the sword came down, launching another wave of energy. This one hit the sidewalk in front of Fifteen's feet, pelting the fiend with a storm of debris.

Inside himself, Fifteen knew he was done for. A trickle of blood filled his mouth, and he was now rather sure that at least three ribs had broken from the last impact. His jacket was torn in about twenty different place, his hat was ruined, and he'd lost a pantscuff running before the fight. He looked as bad as he felt. Why continue, he thought to himself. It just doesn't make sense.

A new thought rammed the first out of his head. This thought was much louder and simpler than the first. All it said was, _I'm not dead just yet_.

Placing the hilt of the Sword of Deep-Seated between his teeth, Fifteen slipped his jacket off. The tattered material fell to the ground, as he reached into the bag of magic cubes (tucked into his belt) and found the one he was looking for. He took it out, showed it to the warrior, and activated it, then took the hilt out of his mouth and smiled, his muscles bulging slightly through his shirt.

"Rush Recklessly?" Gaia asked. The Fierce Knight then smiled. "Very well. Come at me." The sword swung, and an energy wave launched at Fifteen...

...who vaulted over it, charging at full speed towards Gaia. He swung agan and again, the Sword of Deep-Seated clanging against the Legendary Sword. Gaia forced Sleipnir back, the horse growing scared under him.  
Leaping over Fifteen's head, Gaia spun his horse around and swung his blade, another wave of energy slicing through the air. Fifteen swung his own sword, cutting through the wave and launching one of his own. Startled, Gaia barely managed to block in time. The length of street between them exploded, leaving a sizable crater between them.

Fifteen jumped the crater, knowing that he only had a certain amount of time before the Rush Recklessly burnt out and he was doomed. He relentlessly attacked, his sword clanging again and again against Gaia's Legendary Sword. Cracks began to appear in the warrior's blade, the metal straining under the constant impact of Fifteen's weapon. The two drew back, down the street on the edge of the Level Four Living Quarters.

And then two things happened.

The Legendary Sword shattered into pieces from impact, the shards clanging off Gaia's armor. At the same time, Fifteen drew back his blade and thrust forward, the Sword of Deep-Seated sliding cleanly and effortlessly into Sleipnir's chest. The horse let out an almost human scream and reared back, throwing Gaia into a wall, before it exploded into a rain of shards, slashing Fifteen's face in the aftermath.

The Rush Recklessly wore off, and Fifteen fell to his knees, sword slipping out of his fingers and breaking when it hit the pavement. Lifting his head, he saw Gaia the Fierce Knight, armor scratched and dented, slumped against a wall. His weapons gone, his horse slain, the warrior looked almost pathetic. Fifteen frowned; Gaia had set out with the express purpose of killing him, feeling compassion would be a very bad idea. "So... now what?" he asked no one.

Shuddering, the knight pulled himself to his feet. He was bowlegged, having spent almost his entire life on horseback. Looking to Fifteen, he bowed... and then turned and ran, leaping almost two hundred feet in one bound, landing on the rooftop. He leapt from roof to roof, just as Fifteen had when he was running, until he vanished from sight.

Having no intention of following, Fifteen tried to get up and promptly collapsed, breathing heavily. It was at that moment that all the pain he'd suffered decided to kick in, and he passed out, his last sight being of Tessia and Naomi stepping out of a Labyrinth Tank and rushing up to him.

**0000000**

Unnoticed by anyone, a crow took flight, setting out from a ledge above the crater and turning towards the Level Four Warrior Living Quarters. It flew without sound, altering its altitude so that it skimmed the rooftops. It had a very specific destination in mind.

An hour later, the crow landed in a back alley. Soon it shuddered, and melted into something larger... and then the Copycat dusted itself off, waiting for the master to arrive.

As always, the first sign was the sound of the master's pet growling. Then the voice of the master itself entered the Copycat's mind: _What news have you?_

In the voice that sounded like glass breaking, it replied, "The Witty Phantom has proved remarkably fortunate. He slew Gaia's horse and drove the Fierce Knight away... Master, may I ask a question?"

_You may, but do not expect an answer_, the master replied.

"Why did you choose that Witty Phantom as our scapegoat?"

There was no response for quite some time, and then a rush of pain filled the Copycat's body. It collapsed, gripping at its chest, and the master's voice filled its head: _As you said that, you thought to yourself, "What were you thinking when you chose him?" Never question my decisions again, Copycat. In words, in thoughts, nor in deeds. You can be replaced. 15A cannot. As for your spoken question, I will tell you once the plan has come to frutition. Not before then._

The pain stopped, and the Copycat trembled, placing the top of its head to the ground. "I apologize, master. I will do only as you command."

_Very well._ In the shadows, the Copycat saw its master turn to leave. _Maintain the stakeout until further notice.  
_The alley soon emptied, as the crow took flight once more.

**0000000**

There was an palace at the very peak of the Central Shadow Realm. In it, Exodia the Forbidden One once held court during the days of absolute rule. Now, however, it merely served as his home.

A Meda Bat had followed Gaia invisibly during his hunt for Fifteen, and now it relayed all that it had seen to the Head of the Council. Once the replay was over, he placed his head in his hands and groaned, a terrible, droning noise. The palace staff shuddered.

Exodia's aide, the La Jinn (who had taken the name Suleiman), had seen all of this as well. Shaking his own head, he asked, "What shall we do now, sir?"

"Nothing," came the eventual answer.

Taken aback, Suleiman took a moment to reply. "Nothing, sir?"

Despite the look of dismay on Exodia's face, he let out a low chuckle before speaking. "I fought alongside Gaia in the Second Dragon War, remember. During that war, something interesting took place... and if Gaia remembers it as well, I believe we have absolutely nothing to worry about."

**0000000**

In the headquarters of the Central Shadow Realm Police Force, an Unfriendly Amazon and a Sasuke Samurai were currently standing at attention. It was only proper, as the man behind the desk in front of them was the Chief of Police himself.

"Just got word from the Council that Gaia failed to bring down our suspected Shadow Killer," the Chief said, stroking his beard.

"Shadow Killer?" Aysev asked.

Geefor rolled his overly large eyes and stated, "The new name for our case. Also called the Blue Nemuriko Killer."

"Correct," the chief resumed. "Well, the Council has, as per usual, failed to do a damned thing about the suspect, so it's all down to us. Good news, though - we have a possible locale for our suspect."

Both Geefor and Aysev noticeably leaned forward on those words. "Really, sir?" Geefor asked.

The chief nodded, and shoved a small stack of papers across the desk. "The Level Four Spellcaster Living Quarters. In that stack you'll find one of the High Eyes's paperwork on the suspect's encounter with Gaia, and a list of possible places he could be hiding in. Now get to it!"

Taking the papers, Aysev passed them to Geefor, and then saluted before heading out of the office. As they made their way out, a Masked Sorcerer snickered and said, "Bet you ten bucks the perp's already out of the area."

"Smoke a Chain Destruction, Ninef," Aysev replied.

**0000000**

The news of Gaia's defeat traveled fast. One place it reached was the Missing Number bar. Unlike the reactions in the Council and the Police Force headquarters, the news was met with more than a little optimism - at least nobody else had to worry about Gaia for a while.

But one individual, the one wrapped in a cloak over in the corner, merely looked into his drink, other hand drumming the head of his staff, and whispered, "Oh, Fifteen, you don't know what this will lead to..."

**000000**

The very edge of the Central Shadow Realm was surrounded by a wide trench, in order to prevent the landbound dragons and other menaces from crossing into the city proper. This trench was reinforced by Chasm of Spikes traps and other tricks, and the one safe alley out was guarded by a small army of Crimson Sentries. The only way to leave town was by the #24 train to Toon World, which left every three days, or through the use of a Labyrinth Tank, and almost no one had a reason to go into the Outer Shadow Realm.

A Crimson Sentry by the name of Kiki was on standard patrol when she saw one of the oddest things she'd ever seen in her life as a patroller. Armored feet clanking on the rails, a monster was staggering out of the Central Shadow Realm.

Someone was leaving on foot!

"Halt!" Kiki shouted, drawing her sword. More Crimson Sentries rushed to the scene, drawing their own weapons, just as the suspicous monster bent down and picked up a piece of wood from the side of the tracks. "What reason have you t-"

The next morning, Kiki, now missing an arm and severely beaten, would report that the armored monster crushed in the skull of one of the Crimson Sentries, and then took her sword before slaughtering the entire group, save for Kiki and two others. As they laid there, beaten and dying, the patrollers saw him wipe the sword clean on one of their bodies, before hiking off in the direction of the Dragon Lairs.


	6. Slip Away

Two days had passed since the defeat of Gaia the Fierce Knight. The Level Four Spellcaster Living Quarters had taken shakedown after shakedown, each part of it placed in the Central Shadow Realm Police Force's metaphorical vise and squeezed until it bled. So far, nothing had come up that gave even a hint as to where the Shadow Killer was hiding. All that was known was that, in a fair fight, he had overcome the Central Shadow Realm's last resort.  
During those two days, the Shadow Killer himself, Witty Phantom 15A, had fallen off the map, or so it seemed.

In truth, he had spent those days hidden in a small apartment, nursing cups of Blue Medicine and pondering what in the names of the Gods he was going to do now.

**0000000**

On the third day, he made his decision. "I'm getting out of this part of town," he told Tessia that afternoon, sipping his latest glass of Blue Medicine. Fifteen's ribs were back in working order, but his ankle still throbbed when he moved too quickly.

The Magician of Faith was, not suprisingly, unhappy to hear that. "You're kidding, right?" She topped off his medicine and stared at him, head tilted.

"I can't risk them discovering me," he went on. Taking his battered hat from the dresser, he spun it in one hand and put it on. "If they discover you're harboring the so-called Shadow Killer, neither you nor Naomi can hope to get out of it with your skin in one piece. It's safer for all of us if I just get out."

"Where will you go?" This time Naomi was asking the question. She had spent her free time stitching up the various rips in Fifteen's jacket, which now sat in her hands. Her work was excellent; you had to strain to see the damage Gaia's attacks had done to it.

Fifteen took a while (two sips of his medicine) to answer that question. When he finally spoke again, he said, "I'll hide in the Low-Level Zombie Housing Quarters. Nobody will ask any questions there..."

Both women gaped, and then Tessia rapped Fifteen over the head with her staff. His hat absorbed most of the blow but was left with a dent in it. As Fifteen popped the dent back out, the Magician of Faith yelled, "What are you thinking? You can't go there! The Syndicate will tear you to pieces! They kill any non-fie-"

Her rant was interrupted when Fifteen merely chortled and tugged on his ear. His orange-skinned, pointed, otherwise fiendish ear.

"Oh. Forgot about that," she finished. After a moment, though, she started yelling again. "But what about your aura? If the cops so much as pass within fifty feet of you, you're doomed! What'll you do about that?"

Rather than say anything, Fifteen held up a magic cube. It had come from the bag the Skilled Dark Magician had given him, which had also contained the Blue Medicine he was drinking. The cube, like all others, had no distinguishing features, but its aura was instilled with its identity. This one was a Scroll of Bewitchment, which had long ago become illegal. "With this, I can pass as Witty Phantom 15C," he explained. "I don't know whether one exists or not, but it's my best chance. I'm leaving tonight."

Neither of the two Spellcasters could think of anything to say. They didn't need to say anything, as the doubt was written in bold letters on their faces.

Anyone who had passed by the front door of Apartment 465 during that conversation would have seen a Kuriboh leaning heavily against it, as if listening to something. Had they then chosen to stay there, they would have witnessed the Kuriboh melt and reform into a Skilled Dark Magician. And had they not started running, the Skilled Dark Magician would have then killed them.

**0000000**

The train to the Low-Level Zombie Housing Complex was late, Fifteen noted. He had left Tessia and Naomi's apartment about three hours after the conversation, having finally convinced them both that it was the best idea. Tessia had almost cracked his ribs again during her farewell hug.

Underneath his neatly repaired jacket, the Scroll of Bewitchment was adhered to his shirt (which was new - a gift from Naomi after the fight). Anyone who happened to sense his aura would learn that he was, to judge by that, Witty Phantom 15C instead of Witty Phantom 15A. Whether they then asked what Witty Phantom 15C was doing outside of the Level Four Fiend Living Quarters was not something Fifteen cared about.

A commotion was occuring further down the platform. Curious, Fifteen moved towards it.

"I hear you've started asking your friends to call you Emily." The monster saying this, a Dark Elf, gripped in her hand the front of a Fire Sorceror's cloak; said Fire Sorceror currently dangled quite dangerously over the tracks. Off in the distance, the train could be heard, finally approaching. "I told you, FS-125 - you've got no business taking a name at your level. I'm just DE-267, and I'm perfectly fine with that. Why aren't you?"

Despite the various problems involved with speaking when giant metallic death is rapidly coming closer, the Fire Sorceror named Emily choked out, "It just... didn't feel right... being a number..." Her hat slid back, and she barely caught it.

The Dark Elf laughed, a bit of black energy dancing around her free hand. "Bad answer," she said. "You'll have to kiss the train."

It had gone far enough, Fifteen decided. Moving forward, he grabbed a firm hold of the Dark Elf's robe and pulled hard. Both DE-267 and Emily jerked backward, and as the Fire Sorceror's feet hit pavement, she pulled free and ran down the street, screaming her lungs out.

Catching her balance, the Dark Elf charged her hand, black energy circling it at high speed. "What the hell were you thinking?" she hissed at the Witty Phantom. "You had no business with what I was doing! What, do you have a name?"

"I am known as Fifteen," the fiend replied, pulling his hat down. "And as for why I saved her, all I can say is that I didn't find what you were doing fair." He was in trouble - he couldn't afford to get in a fight so soon after Gaia; his ankle was still throbbing.

The situation was abruptly settled when a cry of "Runaway luggage!" prefaced an out-of-control treasure chest skidding down the street and ramming into the Dark Elf. Knocked back, she teetered on the edge of the platform for about three seconds before falling to the rails. Just as she landed, the train arrived, and she was crushed in an explosion of triangular shards.

Watching all this, all Fifteen thought was that they had better not add that one to the list of his victims. At that point, the train's door opened, and he and the luggage's owner, a Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, stepped on board.

**0000000**

The cobblestones on the platform in the Low-Level Zombie Housing Quarters were cracked. This was the first warning to any newcomers. There were no second warnings.

Stepping off, Fifteen noted that the streetlights were either broken or twisted into pretzels. After briefly pondering why there were streetlights in a lair of the undead, an instinct told him to duck. He did so, and the incoming Sparks barely missed him. Instead, the spell struck its intended target, a 13th Grave, who shuddered and then melted away. Getting up, Fifteen resumed his travel.

There were suprisingly few zombies in the Low-Level Zombie Quarters. This was for one reason, and one reason only: the Dark Ruler didn't like them. Most had long since migrated to the Level Four or high districts, where they became the local homeless population. Ever since the Ha Des Business Syndicate came about.  
Fifteen's train of thought came to a halt when he was offered a free sample of Nutrient Z. Brushing it off, he sat down on a bench, and pondered.

As he sat down, a fairly large crow nested in the tree behind him.

**0000000**

Crime was as much a scourge of the Central Shadow Realm as it would be in any human city. Ever since the city came together under the rule of Exodia, there were those who sought to enrichen their coffers by raiding those of others. For a time, the rates of robbery and murder were so high that the entire city fell under martial law.

And then, for a period of one year, it came to a virtual halt. Those who believed that the criminals had either left or had just lost the battles with the military proved overly optismistic. In truth, the year's relief had come about because it took a while for the new mastermind to rise to power.

Dark Ruler Ha Des had served an undistinguished term of service in the First Dragon War, and vanished shortly afterward. But in the time following the final battles of that war, he'd developed an ever-expanding web of contacts and control, one that slowly strangled the other crime lords (the Patrician of Darkness, the Sorceror of the Doomed, and the Chaos Command Magician among them) and either forced them under his control... or killed them outright. Within one year, the year that the crime rates dropped, the Dark Ruler had become the most powerful monster in the so-called "shadows of the Shadow Realm"; he'd created the Ha Des Business Syndicate to maintain his various operations.

All the low-level Zombies were tormenting the other parts of the Central Shadow Realm because of him. When the Dark Ruler had decided on a base for his organization, he'd picked the one least likely to draw attention; even then, the Low-Level Zombie Housing Quarters were a slum. Any of the monsters there who chose not to become part of the Syndicate had either run off or redied. Now it was the gigantic offices of Ha Des, and despite the Central Shadow Realm Police Force's best efforts, it was likely to stay that way.

When Fifteen had just started his life, he'd seen the coming of a group dubbing themselves the Elemental Heroes. They'd vowed to clean up the Central Shadow Realm and wipe Ha Des off the map. Within three days, they were all dead - they'd died spectacularly, gruesomely, and most important, publicly. Nobody stepped on the Dark Ruler's toes and got away with it. There wasn't a monster foolish enough to challenge him after that.

**0000000**

As Fifteen went through the history lesson in his head, Apartment 464's door flew open, and Aysev slid into the room, Sparks gun at the ready. Geefor stayed beside the entrance, hand on the two-way radio and waiting to request backup. Every other apartment on the floor up to here (401 to 463) had proven fruitless, leaving only a large number of very, very angry monsters. But as this was the last living complex left in the Level Four Spellcaster Living Quarters, it was the only place left for the suspect to hide. Catching the Shadow Killer would be worth all the hassle.

"Is anyone in here?" Aysev yelled, moving towards a recently-broken drawer. "This is Detective A-737 of the Central Shadow Realm Police Force! If there is anyone in this apartment, come out now! We want to question you!"

Geefor moved around the apartment, muttering into his tape recorder. "Apartment 464, currently inhabited by a Skilled Dark Magician, according to the records. Appears to have been ransacked recently; no aura traces less than four days old, all belonging to the original owner. It is possible that the suspect, if he was here, killed the original owner. Hmmmm..." He stooped, retrieved his tongs from his sheath, and picked up a shard of metal near the doorway. "Pieces of what appear to be Sparks shells would confirm my theory about the original owner being dead." Letting go of the Record button on his tape recorder, he called to Aysev, "Find anything?"

"Yeah!" the detective replied. "Come take a look at this!"

When Geefor entered what appeared to be the bedroom, he found his partner staring at a small, glowing cube - a trap cube from the looks of it. "Have you identified it?" he asked.

"I'm afraid to get close enough to do it," Aysev said, holding out her hand. "Lend me your tongs."

Even as the Sasuke Samurai took out his tongs and handed them to her, he'd already gone into his usual lecture: "Here you go, but use caution. Remember, that cube's already active. It could be a Widespread Ruin, a Torrential Tribute set to the next person who comes in, a..."

The lecture came to a halt as Aysev jabbed the cube with the tongs. The trap shuddered for a second, and then unfolded. Emerging from it was a massive, serpentine figure, with a human's head and a snake sprouting from its back. Drawing a sword and taking up a shield, the monster trap hissed, raising his blade.

"Or an Embodiment of Ophosis..." Geefor concluded.

Both monsters threw themselves out of the way as the Embodiment struck, cracking the floorboards with its first attack. The snake head flicked its tongue, trying to sense them as the trap monster slid off the remnants of its cube, slithering towards the door. Its tail batted the tongs aside, and Geefor swept them up, returning them to his sheath.

Counting to five in her head, Aysev leapt out, gun drawn. The instant the Embodiment of Ophosis turned around, she opened fire with her Sparks gun. Fireball after fireball pounded the creature's heads and torso, until finally the gun clicked empty. Smoking badly, the snake-like statue dropped its sword, quivered, and then finally shattered in a rain of triangular shards.

The Unfriendly Amazon panted, her gun sliding from her hands as she took hold of her knees. At her side, Geefor opened a bag and swept the shards of the Embodiment's trap cube into it, muttering something. Listening close, Aysev heard it: "What's the first thing they teach you in the Entering an Area course?"

A blush crossed her face before she answered, "Always be wary of active trap cubes."

"ALWAYS be wary of active trap cubes!" Geefor said, a little louder this time. "They meant the 'always!"

**0000000**

"Hey. You that Shadow Killer the newspapers keep going on about?"

Fifteen was jolted off his train of thought by the question. Glancing up, he saw the question's source - a Humanoid Slime. One hand slid under his jacket, to where the Scroll of Bewitchment hummed steadily, still active. "How the hell did you..."

The Humanoid Slime bubbled slightly, and a piece of stone floated up into its clear head. The stone had a number of engravings, the centralmost being an eye. It pulsed with imbued power.

All Fifteen could do was sigh. No matter what measures you took to keep from being noticed, an Eye of Truth would always know what you were. "So, why are you so interested in what I am?" he asked the protoplasm.

"I ain't the interested one," the Slime replied. "No, that would be the boss. Not a lot of reasons one of the WPs would come here, 'less they were you. You showed up, and the boss got real interested."

The next thing Fifteen felt was his heart sinking down into his shoes. "The boss? Are we just talking your personal boss, or..."

"That would be 'my employer'. There's only one 'the boss."

"Damn it."

"Usual reaction, yeah."

Before Fifteen could start running, he felt a pinch at his neck, followed by a swift drop into unconsciousness. The last thing he heard was the snickering of a Saggi the Dark Clown.

**0000000**

A jolt of cold water ran over the Witty Phantom's face, and he awoke to find himself in a darkened room, bent over a basin. On either side of him stood Blindly Loyal Goblins, both armed with Ookazi guns, and behind him stood the Humanoid Slime from earlier. The latter turned him around and placed his hat back on him. "Get your senses back quick," it advised him, "the boss is waiting."

There is nothing so senses-restoring as the thought that you may soon be killed. Fifteen was in full possession of his faculties by the time the Goblins frog-marched him into the next room.

As would be expected given its owner, the room was opulent - rare Great Moth silks were draped around the wall, and the chairs were the very best Trent wood. The center of the room was a marble desk, carved (given its occasional low groans) from a living Stone Ogre Grotto. Currently atop the desk was a folded newspaper, with yesterday's date and the headline, SHADOW KILLER STRIKES AGAIN - SLAYING IN L5 WARRIOR COMPLEX. Behind the desk was a giant painting, showing the legendary battle between Mefist the Infernal General and the Vampire Lord, Meier. The frame of the painting was composed of Souls of the Forgotten, stretched out and nailed in place with Time Seals. The room sent two messages: one, that the room's usual occupant was rich enough and confident enough to have his furnishings made out of other monsters, and two, that if you did anything out of line you could easily be the next item of furniture.

Fifteen was still looking at the painting when a tremendously cultured voice spoke: "You admire the artwork, I see. Costs me a small fortune to keep it free of Portrait's Secrets, but of course I make a small fortune everyday. Please, be seated."

The Goblins knocked Fifteen into the chair before the desk, and the Dark Ruler Ha Des passed by him. He wore blue velvet, draped around his body, with a massive bone chestpiece shaped as a skull. A black metal collarpiece hung out over his shoulders, laced with gold and studded along the edges with sapphires; in the center sat a massive ruby engraved with a suffering face. Red-stained metal covered his arms, and he wore a headdress of the same black and gold as his collarpiece. In one hand, he held a glass of wine. His very presence conveyed a warning of dire consequences should you act out of turn.

Settling into a throne that once was a XYZ-Dragon Cannon, the Dark Ruler sipped his wine and grinned, a terrifying sight if ever there was one. "I always thought the Shadow Killer would look a little different from the others of his kind. I appear to have made a mistake," he began. There was a long pause.

Catching on to his opening, Fifteen said, "There was. I haven't done anything they've accused me of."

"I doubted that from the start," Ha Des replied, setting his wine down. "You're one of the bureacrat class. If they've done anything of any importance in the Central Shadow Realm, I have yet to see it. And they would never do anything to disturb the order of this place."

Sensing another opening, the Witty Phantom asked, "Do you know who might have done it?"

"No, which startles me," the Dark Ruler answered. "I have nothing to go on. The more killings and other such crimes occur, the more likely it is the police will start blaming me. I have every impetus in the world to find the killer, and I have no clue who it is." There was another pause, too short for Fifteen to speak, and then he resumed. "I assume, then, that whoever is mimicking you also defeated Gaia."

"Actually, that was me," Fifteen replied. "My guess is that whoever's doing the killings wasn't acting as me that time. And before you ask, no, I don't think I can win another battle like that."

"Pity," Ha Des said, draining his wineglass. One of the Blindly Loyal Goblins stepped forward and refilled the glass from a bottle that, judging from its looks and color, had formerly lived as a Dissolverock. As this took place, the general feeling of the room grew even darker... well, as much darker as a room furnished with other monsters could get. "I was hoping you could become part of the Syndicate. I suppose we shall have to resort to Plan B."

Something about the phrase made Fifteen's face turn a lighter orange. "Plan... B?" Behind him, he could hear the Ookazi guns click.

"Yes, Plan B. If your corpse, preserved and aura-tagged, is sent to the Central Shadow Realm Police Office... well, the case would be closed, would it not?" Something about the way Ha Des said the line made Fifteen doubt that a Plan A had ever existed. One of the Dark Ruler's fingers pointed at him, and dark energy danced on its tip. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Witty Phantom D-15A."

Before the blast could be fired, a commotion from outside the office caused everyone, Fifteen included, to look to the door. A man in black plate, with purple hair and a band around one eye, was flipping his way through the room. Leaping through the door, he dropped an active magic cube on Ha Des's desk, shouted, "A gift from the Dark Scorpions!", and vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Exactly three seconds later, Ha Des had jumped down a Dimensionhole he'd kept in his pocket for times like this one, the Blindly Loyal Goblins had fled, and Fifteen was out the nearest window. A bolt of lightning obliterated the furnishings in the office the second after that.

**0000000**

For the second time in less than a week, Fifteen was laying on pavement, his hat a fair distance away from him, trying hard to keep his breathing regular. The impact had knocked the air of his lungs, and more likely than not, had also rebroken his ribs. And on reflection, he admitted to himself that it was still better than getting a grapefruit-sized hole blown through his chest.

Of course, he'd gotten lucky today. The Dark Scorpions were the Ha Des Business Syndicate's only real rivals, and this wasn't the first time Don Zaloog had shown up in person to destroy one of the Dark Ruler's headquarters. This would probably trigger another burst of violence between the Zombie and Warrior Quarters, where each were cloistered. But it would be violence that Fifteen wasn't part of, which was a plus.

The train of thought derailed as Don Zaloog himself bent over Fifteen. The crime boss tucked a folded slip of paper into the fiend's pocket, and began to walk away. Throwing himself into a sitting position, Fifteen watched...

...and saw the Don shiver before melting down and becoming a giant crow, which took to the air.

All of a sudden, pieces of the puzzle began to assemble themselves in the fiend's mind. Before he could focus, two sets of footsteps rushed up to him, and then he was yanked painfully upright and embraced from behind. The size of the arms made it clear who that was, and Fifteen painfully shouted, "Tessia! What the hell are you doing here?"

"The police showed up," Naomi explained as her friend hugged/throttled the Witty Phantom. "They didn't go into our apartment, but with your aura traces all over it, we decided it wasn't safe to be there anymore. So we've decided to help you out as much as we can."

Finally breaking loose from Tessia's grip, Fifteen took a couple of deep breathes, and then managed to smile, saying, "Well, thanks for the thought, but what are we going to do? It's not like we have anywhere to go." At that moment, the paper in his shirt pocket tickled him, and he unfolded it. The smile vanished, and he admitted, "Then again, I might have spoken too soon..."

**0000000**

An hour later, the following conversation took place in Low-Level Zombie Housing Complex 3, also known as the Ha Des Hidey Holes.

"I'm here for Apartment 214."

"You need to give me proof of ownership."

"'I am sick and tired of conventional fixed-style jazz.'"

"Gotta question why the boss is giving one of our rooms to a Witty Phantom and friends, but it ain't my department. Here's the key, and if the cops show up, there's a Dimensionhole in the sink. Have a nice stay."

**0000000**

There were three absences in the Central Shadow Realm of note.

The Dark Magician Raelvion, Spellcaster Representative, did not appear in the Shadow Council meeting that night. His aide, the Rogue Doll Tilde, stated he was on business elsewhere.

When the Dark Scorpions convened for a planning session in their lair, Don Zaloog didn't turn up. A search found him, bound and gagged behind his favorite bar. When asked what happened, he cursed about getting assaulted by a Blindly Loyal Goblin and vowed revenge on Ha Des.

And the whereabouts of Gaia the Fierce Knight were still unknown, although a trail of corpses seemed to lead steadily towards the Dragon Lairs...


	7. Laying in Wait

(Author's Note: Present tense means events during the Second Dragon War (the past); past tense means events in this story's present. Sorry for any confusion.) 

On a long, deserted stretch of land, deep in the Wasteland, the sound of combat roared in the Shadow Realm night. Bones crunched and flesh split, and when it was over, only one figure still stood.

The winner of the fight knelt over his slain foe, grabbing at the corpse's shirt and ripping it away. Even as the body of the loser, a D. Human, went unstable and shattered, the other monster didn't care. He was too busy wiping blood off of the knuckles of his gauntlets. Taking the ripped garment, he forced it into the smallest cracks of the left gauntlet, only turning to the right one when the left was finished.

It would not bode well for Gaia to have parts of his armor rusting when he tried to climb the Dragon Lair. Traversing the mountain was hard enough without having one's hand squeak whenever his fingers flexed.

Despite the featurelessness of the Wasteland (how diverse could a parched, cracked landscape without any forms of vegetation be?), one was never unsure where the border stood. The Wastelands rose in the west, creating the Mountains, which themselves eventually gave way as an ebbing tide to the singular jut of the Dragon Lair. After several days of traveling, Gaia had traversed the wastes, and now that he neared the Mountains, the dragons and dragon wish-they-weres began to appear. The D. Human whose shirt had served as a handy rag was one of the latter - one of many humanoid monsters who bore such a fascination towards the dragons that they sought to live with them.

It all worked out in the end. Had the D. Human survived his run-in with the Fierce Knight, he likely would have closed his days in the jaws of a dragon.

Gaia snorted. He'd never get to the Dragon Lairs at that rate. Picking up a heavy length of rock to serve as a weapon, the warrior resumed his travels.

**0000000**

It isn't always the Wastelands. Before the Second Dragon Wars, it is a fertile plain. But this is before the Second Dragon Wars.

Sleipnir is skittish under Gaia as he awaits the orders to charge. The Fierce Knight can merely smile, looking out on the enemy. Behind him stand an entire army of monsters; Zombyra the Darks crack their knuckles, Blade Knights clash their weapons and grin foully, and the Goblin Attack Forces throw dice one last time before the battle begins.

At the edge of the Mountains, the dragons have gathered. The Troop Dragons form the front lines, running up and down with their spears at the ready. Luster Dragons fly over the battlefield, scanning the enemy, and the Cave Dragons lumber towards the front, steam spurting from their nostrils.

Two loud bugle notes split the air, hanging in the sky for only a moment before they fade into echos. The spellcaster units begin chanting, their various magical implements glowing with power. Gaia reaches down, taking his lances from their ready positions and holding one up. Every warrior draws, leaving one long, sustained "shnnick!" noise in the air for a moment.

The Lizard Soldiers heft their shields, moving to absorb the first wave of the charge on the dragon positions. Spear Dragons take to the air, looking down on the pending conflict, and even the Petite Dragons carrying medical supplies can't help but shiver.

Gaia's lance falls. A gong rings from behind Central Shadow Realm lines. And as the charge takes place, it's punctuated with magic blasts and dragon's breath.

The plains are scorched and burned to the very soil within the first five minutes. Nothing will ever grow here again. This is the first day of the Wastelands.

**000000**

Within the day, the Mountains began to fall back. Gaia's armor had taken quite the soaking as he passed through this land, and he was now covered in every type of monster blood he could imagine. Warriors, beast-warriors, fiends, even the occasional fairy - it seemed that in every race of monster, there were the dragon-obsessed members.

Having fought his way through the monsters, Gaia stopped to catch his breath, leaning on the rock he had used as a club. For a mile around the Dragon Lair, there was nothing but bare rock. Nothing that could grow, but with one exception, could be found. The exception was the small, mysterious flower known as the corpse lily, which only ever grew at the site of a massacre. When the First Dragon War had taken place, countless dragons had died here; now it marked the line of no return.

A screech caught Gaia's attention. Looking up, he saw a Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress. It was the first line of defense in the Dragon Lair, and it was bearing down on him with a look of malice.

The Fierce Knight merely sighed. It seemed the battles would not end here. Leaping into the air, he swung the club around, striking the Winged Dragon across the face.

Both combatants landed on the ground, the Winged Dragon spitting a broken fang. It opened its mouth, inhaling to ignite a fireball. Knowing what was planned, the warrior sprang out, locking his arms around the Winged Dragon's neck. He squeezed.

There was a moment's pause, and then smoke poured out of the dragon's nostrils. It writhed slightly, and then collapsed, having burned itself to death inside.

Gaia just spread his arms, letting the corpse fall, and flicked a scale off of his armor. His eyes turned from the Dragon Lairs to the Mountains, and he couldn't help but smile behind his helmet. Ages had passed since his last time in them.

**0000000**

The fight has pushed back from the scorched plains, the dragons losing ground and falling into the mountains. Slepneir leads the charge, the warriors cannonballing into the lines of their scaled enemies. Blades chop through flesh, and there is a constant ring of shattering bodies in the air. At this rate, the Dragon Lairs are only a day's battle away.

Gaia dismounts, sitting against a tree and watching the skies during a moment of respite. The Throwstone Units are reloading, prepared to open fire at anything with wings and red-hot breath. Something flies overhead, its shadow tracing along the ground, and they take aim.

For a brief moment, the sky is raining stones in reverse. Several hit their marks and a scream breaks the silence of the moment. Listening closely, the warriors hear it falling, and then a clattering sound as it hits the ground. There is a moment of celebration, and then a debate as to who will check and make sure it's dead. Gaia volunteers.

Slepneir's hooves make short work of the distance between the warriors and where the sound of the fall was heard. In a valley between two peaks, the Fierce Knight pulls his horse to a stop, dismounts, and moves slowly into the valley, lance at the ready.

What he finds is a long, pale creature, looking for all the world like a flying backbone. It is curled up, bone coverings cracked in many places from the stones of the Throwstone Units. Its proper species name is the Curse of Dragon, and it is hurt, breathing hard and thrashing in pain from time to time.

Protocol requires that Gaia kill his enemy now - it is a dragon, and leaving one alive is leaving another one for the enemies to throw against them. But something halts his lance. Sinking to his knees, he runs his fingers along the cracks in the monster's plates. This causes a twinge, and he pulls back. Not able to explain why, he uncorks a bottle of Red Medicine and carefully pours it into the injured spots.

As expected, the bone begins to knit. There is a glimmer of an idea in the Fierce Knight's mind, and he decides to go with it.

Perhaps thirty minutes later, the warriors look up and see their general return, the Curse of Dragon on the saddle behind him. "What are you thinking?" they cry as one in their confusion.

The answer is simple and quick from Gaia: "We have a prisoner."

**0000000**

The bone club swung again and again, and the Dragon Dwelling in the Cave finally collapsed and shattered. Sweat dripped from the crevices in Gaia's armor as he sat on the ground, wondering when all the dragons had moved back into the Dragon Lairs. On his first trip up the mountain, when they'd all tried to kill him, he could at least climb the first ten feet without being attacked.

Two Lizard Soldiers rushed down the mountain, blades at the ready. Shaking his head, Gaia ran at them and swung his club once, knocking them aside. Behind them came a group of Troop Dragons, on high alert over the intruder.  
He'd be at this all day! Frustrated, the Fierce Knight hurled his club into the enemies, and sprang skyward. kicking his armored toes into the rock face. Pebbles fell as he stood warily on the improvised footholds. Ignoring the astonished glances of the dragons below him, he punched the rock hard, causing more of it to fall and leaving him with handholds. A moment of concentration passed, and he began to climb, forcing open cracks in the rock with his fingers and kicking new footholds into the mountain's side.

A loud clattering caught his attention, and Gaia looked down, never a good idea. The Troop Dragons had dropped their weapons, and all four climbed after him, their claws digging into spaces too small for Gaia's armor. A long, low sigh of disbelief filtered through his helmet.

How long it took to reach the top of the rock wall couldn't be answered, but it felt like hours as Gaia forced himself up the sheer stone. Finally, he fell onto his back, exhausted from the efforts. Seeing a group of scaled fingers rising into view, the warrior dropped his armored fist onto them. There was a scream, followed by a whooshing noise, a thump, and more screams. The Troop Dragons took the quick way down the rock, and it came to an end with a squishing noise as punctuation.

Resting there a moment, Gaia found himself studying his surroundings. And then he couldn't help but laugh.  
Where he sat was at the center of what the Central Shadow Realm's armies long ago dubbed the "Dragonslayer's Road". It was a flat, spiraling path leading to the mountain's peak, a path that had taken four complete platoons almost a year to hammer into the rock. And it started on the opposite side of the mountain from where he'd started his climb.

One gauntlet slid off, and Gaia dusted off his breastplate before standing up. Clicking the gauntlet into position, he resumed his travel, at a somewhat more leisurely pace.

**0000000**

The platoon works as a well-oiled machine, the Destroyer Golems pulverizing rock and then falling back, letting in a group of Kojikocys armed with shovels; they dispose of the rubble. It makes good time, although they frequently have to break and fight off the incoming dragons. At this rate, the path will be complete within months.

There is a side path, however; it is about two vertical miles from the mountain's peak, and leads to a small cave dug into the Dragon Lairs's side. There sits a small prison, the maintaining of which Gaia the Fierce Knight has volunteered his troops for. It can hold up to seven dragons, each in their own cell.

Currently, only one cell is occupied.

Today is a special day for Gaia the Fierce Knight, although he knows it not. He rides Slepneir on the air currents, avoiding the hassle of setting foot on the fragile path. In a minute, he sees the familiar cliff, and there he settles the horse.

He walks inside, nodding to the Giant Orc who serves as a guard. As usual, the orc is asleep. It was for that reason that Gaia chose him.

In the only occupied cell, the Curse of Dragon is fluttering its wings, stretching them as best it can while awaiting whatever Gaia has planned for it. It turns its pointed head towards the general as he approaches, as if asking what he's planning for it now.

"I have a deal to make with you," Gaia says. "If you're willing to serve as my mount, you can be free of this place."

The Curse of Dragon doesn't say anything. It doesn't have to. Its gaze is fixed on the exit... and on Slepneir.

The warrior already foresaw this problem. "You would be a replacement," he tells the dragon. "An emergency mount, should Slepneir ever come to harm. Does that sound more acceptable?"

Not having prepared for that, the Curse is at a loss. It glances back and forth, between the exit, Slepneir, and the Fierce Knight. Finally, it turns back to Gaia and lowers its head in a brief nod.

The Giant Orc at the door is swiftly relieved of his keys, and Gaia leads the Curse of Dragon out; the orc doesn't witness either event, as he's still asleep.

**0000000**

A cloud of dust rose from the Dragonslayer's Road as Gaia traveled up it, on the alert for further dragon attacks. Having found a suitable rock, he'd used another rock to chisel it into a sharp point - a crude knife of sorts. It was better than nothing.

The wind blew harder as he climbed up the Dragon Lairs; legend had it that the spirit of the Five-God Dragon had never left the mountain after the Second Dragon Wars, and the closer you came to the peak, the more his rage struck at you. Gaia had never believed this, as the wind had always blown harder the higher you went, even when the Five-God Dragon still lived. There was simply less to block it now that the road was here.

Stopping a moment, the warrior turned and looked off the edge of the mountain. From here, he could easily see the Central Shadow Realm, both the barrier at its base and the massive rise of Exodia's palace at the very top. It seemed to him to be a gigantic hand, grasping greedily at the Shadow Realm sky and trying to drag it down to the ground.

Sometimes he'd pondered the wisdom of fighting in the Second Dragon War, of saving the Central Shadow Realm from utter destruction. Every time he had to remind himself how skewed his view was; it was only after the Second Dragon War that they'd started chaining him up under the city.

He turned back to the road, only to see a shimmering white dragon standing in his way and glaring down. Apparently, he'd gotten so lost in his thoughts that he had failed to notice the presence of a Hyozanryu.  
There was a pause of two seconds, at the end of which Gaia jumped backwards. The spot where he'd stood was a smoldering crater a second later.

Gaia stopped to give the situation a quick overview. All he had was the stone knife he'd made, which would do exactly nothing to the dragon's diamond hide. There wasn't anything in the immediate area that would work much better... His assessment paused as he dove out of the line of fire again.

A small rock dinged off of his helmet, and the warrior looked up. Above him sat a wooden support, holding back what seemed like a small mountain's worth of rocks. He had an idea, but timing would be everything.

Jumping, Gaia grabbed the support with his free hand and threw his knife. His aim was true, and it sliced cleanly through one of the Hyozanryu's eyes. The diamond dragon roared in anguish, charged...

...and smashed through the support, just as Gaia hurled himself to the ground. The rocks, left to do gravity's bidding, fell. They took the dragon with them, plummeting off the edge of the road into the void.

Armor badly dented, Gaia lifted himself up, dusting off his breastplate. The support once stood as part of a set of traps; in case the dragons had tried a massive charge up the road, the rocks would cut it off. The charge never happened, and the supports stayed where they were. It was just luck that he'd found one that never rotted through.

Once his mind was reassembled, Gaia looked around. Just as he'd thought, the path still sat there. The path to the prison.

Steeling himself, he inched his way across the path.

**0000000**

The road is complete now, and the entire army has begun preparing for the final assault on the Five-God Dragon's lair. Exodia has declared he'll lead the charge himself, just like the final attack on the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's lair, back in the First Dragon Wars. Some question why Gaia the Fierce Knight, the lead general up to this point, hasn't complained.

Nobody guesses the true reason. The real reason Gaia isn't complaining is because he's too busy training his new mount.

Day after day, Gaia retrieves the Curse of Dragon from what used to be the prison (the Giant Orc is gone now) and teaches it how to serve him in aerial combat. The Curse wears a new saddle, with light metal lances replacing the bulky wooden ones Gaia uses on Slepneir. The two work well together, and one evening they go a step too far.

In its first combat test, the Curse of Dragon has felled a Spirit Ryu. The warrior and his mount stand over the dying dragon, and as one they share a toast of its blood.

Dragon blood has quite disturbing effects on nondragons who drink it. Even Gaia doesn't know this, but slowly he has begun to change.

It is the fateful night now. Training is complete; the Curse of Dragon is as good a mount as he ever will be. Landing at the old prison, Gaia dismounts and strokes the dragon's carapace. "You've done well," he tells it. "Wait here for me. When I need you, I shall come."

The dragon has changed as much as Gaia has. It nods meekly and flutters into the prison, its new lair.

Mounting Slepneir, Gaia rides the air again, landing back on the Dragonslayer's Road. He barely avoids landing on a Little Swordsman of Aile, one of the army's messengers. "What is it?" he asks.

"Good news, sir!" the Swordsman pipes up. "The Five-God Dragon is dead! The dragons have surrendered! The war's over!"

Now the dragon blood truly kicks in. Gaia's eyes close, and he mutters a sotto, "Too bad."

His lance flicks out, and the Little Swordsman is sliced in two.

The warriors of Gaia's platoons cheer when their general rides among them later. The cheers turn to screams, as one by one he slaughters the warriors. A lust for blood burns in him, and even he doesn't know why.

In total, five hundred brave warriors shall die at the hands of Gaia before Exodia catches and traps him. The Curse of Dragon doesn't know this. All it knows is to wait, living in the cave where Gaia left it, for its master to return.

**0000000**

The path was crumbling under his feet as Gaia walked across it, quietly cursing himself for never having ordered the path reinforced. In time, however, he arrived at what used to be the prison.

Bones were piled high on either side of the door, and a small trail of treasure had inched out. The Fierce Knight picked one piece up - a moonstone, he noted. Setting it down, he headed into the old prison.

It was waiting for him, as it had for years on end. Curled around a statue, the Curse of Dragon looked up at him and merely sighed, before uncurling and moving towards him. One of Gaia's hands settled on its head, stroking the carapace. "I'm sorry I'm late," he said. "Are you ready?"

No response was forthcoming. None was needed. The dragon merely slithered its way out of the cave.

Looking out of the cavern, Gaia smiled under his helmet. Night was falling again, just as it had when he left the mountain before. Walking up to the Curse of Dragon, he set one foot on the stirrup and threw himself on the dragon's back. The saddle felt quite familiar to him, even though he hadn't sat on it in ages.

"Let's go. We've got a job to do," the warrior said.

And for the first time in longer than either could remember, Gaia the Dragon Champion took off from the ledge, flying high into the sky before turning, slowly flying back towards the Central Shadow Realm.

**0000000**

A Meda Bat flew over the Dragon Lairs, watching as Gaia took off. Before it was destroyed in a burst of fire, it transmitted all that it saw to Exodia's palace.

The Forbidden One leaned forward, scrutinizing the information as it flickered across the eye of the Meda Bat's mate. He then smiled, and rested again in his seat.

"Good news, sir?" Suleiman asked, hovering behind his master.

"Very," Exodia replied. "You really shouldn't lose faith so quickly, Suleiman."

**0000000**

At the Missing Number, the cloaked figure in the corner continued to slip at his drinks, occasionally glancing out a window. Suddenly, he felt something... something very unpleasant. He lurched forward, holding onto the table in front of him for dear life.

A light hand tapped his shoulder, before the Magician of Faith who did the tapping asked him, "Are you all right, sir?"

Straightening, he nodded, and then set a pile of currency on the table. "I really must be going," he said before he strode out of the bar.

His steps managed to stay calm until just before he reached the door, whereupon he broke into a run and nearly scared the daylights out of the Warrior Dai Greipher.

**0000000**

Fifteen stopped, midway through a glass of water. This, needless to say, caused him to choke, and it was several seconds before he caught his breath. He couldn't figure out what had come over him.

Naomi, who'd had the day off and was reading the newspaper, looked up from the couch and called over, "Is something wrong?"

"Just bad vibes," the Witty Phantom said, wondering if that was the case.

And down the hall, a monster that to all intents and purposes looked like a Winged Minion received a message: _Stand by for further orders._


	8. Painful Choice

The calendar on the wall of Apartment 214 of the Low-Level Zombie Housing Complex 3 showed a Battle Warrior wrestling a Battle Ax; the month was unimportant. It had made its way from Apartment 465 in the Level Four Spellcaster Living Complex, and showed some twelve crossed-out days. In total, eight of those days were crossed off within this apartment. 

On the couch in the otherwise-empty main room of the apartment, Fifteen stared at the wall. He had begun to name the cracks in it, an amusement for those days wherein other entertainments couldn't be found. Between his feet sat a book, Travels of the Blade Knights, author unknown; it was entertaining but the plot was thin.

Here, he'd at last found a bit of peace. Tessia and Naomi, having the blessing of not being wanted for questioning, still went to their jobs each day, leaving him to guard the apartment. Tessia had stoped by Apartment 465 and retrieved some of the more interesting books, all of which he'd read by this point.

In truth, he was beginning to miss running for his life.

As always when he let his mind wander, his thoughts turned to Tessia. How a Level One could be so cheery had long eluded him. She had taken him in and harbored him without once asking if he was really guilty of the Shadow Killer murders. Whereas Naomi was something of a shy girl, Tessia burst with life. He wondered if...

But no. Best to keep from asking himself that one until after they finally closed the case, if ever.

A knock arrived at the door, and before Fifteen could reach into his pockets for his Sword of Deep-Seated cube, a familiar hissing voice said, "Mail call!"

The fiend relaxed. It was the Lizard Soldier who did all the mail deliveries. For one of Ha Des's servants, he was relatively nice, if a little abrasive. But now Fifteen pondered who would send him anything in the first place...

A single envelope slid under the door. Taking it, Fifteen pulled out a letter. It was unsigned, and contained three sentances.

"It takes seven days to reach the Dragon Lairs by foot. It takes three days to fly back on a dragon. Think carefully on what you may have heard."

After rereading it, Fifteen had a slight memory flash. He'd heard a story once, of Gaia's activities during the Sec-

He dropped the letter.

**0000000**

The Council Lower Quarter rarely received a visitor below Level Six; part of it was simple finances, and part of it was wariness. Dimension Warriors, after all, were Level Four, and if one of them broke into a Council meeting it would create chaos. Thus, guards regularly circulated the area, Ookazi guns in plain view.

But even a place as well-lit as the Council Lower Quarter still had dark alleyways, and in it a certain creature of Level One hid, waiting for the opportunity it needed. Said opportunity arose when a Fiend Megacyber passed the alley's mouth.

A pair of hands shot out and pulled the surprised warrior into the alleyway. There was a silenced shot, a quick shattering, and a different Fiend Megacyber stepped out of the alleyway, Ookazi gun in hand. It headed onto patrol as if nothing had happened.

Under the facade of the Fiend Megacyber, the Copycat pondered its master's orders. They had, after all, come after eight day's dormancy. All he had said was, _Gaia is returning. Go to Part C._ Part C was creating martial law, which confused the mimic immensely. The Central Shadow Realm was in enough chaos over the "Shadow Killer" as it was. But the master's orders were law, and unless it wanted to have itsmirror cracked, the Copycat had no choice.

Soon, it reached the first destination - a small house on the edge of the Council Lower Quarter. It stopped to wrench something out of the fence before approaching the door.

**0000000**

On a foam mat in the center of his living room, the Shadow Council Trap Creator's Guild Representative, Ansatsu, went through his practice in fluid motion. Finally, he stopped, and his last movement caused the ends of his cloth, which he used to tie shut his clothing, to flutter in a self-created breeze. It was cheesy, yes, but he loved the effect.

Cooling down, he smiled behind his mask. Tomorrow, he reminded himself, he and the Dark Witch would make their affair public, confirming what the newspapers had claimed for about two weeks now. They had fallen for each other the year before, but Council members weren't supposed to fraternize. His career was in danger, and he couldn't care less.

A fluttering behind him caused the ninja to blur as he turned around. Smiling, he addressed the intruder, "Well, love, don't you normally kn-"

And then the Dark Witch thrust her spear out, impaling him. As he grunted in shock, she swiped the twin knives out of his sheathes. Cackling, she flew back over the couch, watching him struggle with the spear in his chest.

The final words of the dying Ansatsu were, "You... you couldn't..." And then he slumped to his knees, and breathed his last. Being a member of the Council, he would not shatter.

Once it was sure the monster had died, the Dark Witch's body boiled, and it returned to being the Fiend Megacyber. The question of what to kill Ansatsu with had vexed it, but good fortune had made the fenceposts outside look exactly like the Dark Witch's spear. And now it had Ansatsu's knives.

Dropping a letter on the table, the Copycat in a Fiend Megacyber's body hit the streets again, heading for the other side of the Council Lower Quarter.

**0000000**

The night was underway at the Missing Number, although it was building up to be a slow evening. The only customers were two Boar Soldiers and a group of Ryu-Kishin Clowns, apparently holding a "Outta the Joint" party for one of their number. Tessia grimaced, but poured another beer and set it at their table anyway. The gargoyle clowns laughed and passed it around.

Returning to the main bar, Tessia hissed and turned to Cordner. "It's nights like this that I miss the cloaked guy," she said. "I never did figure out what he was, but he tipped well."

Cordner nodded, busily mixing a Alligator's Other Sword (equal parts Firegrass juice, vodka, and lemonade). "I've always figured he was someone important," he said, before whipping it off the bar. The drink landed softly on the Boar Soldier table, causing its recipient to grunt in approval before sipping it. The Magical Scientist continued, "You know, the type of person who can't allow himself to be seen."

Tessia shook her head, replying, "I doubt it. Anyone that level would set off the alarms." One of the Ryu-Kishin Clowns grunted another order, and her expression turned sour. "This job would be great if it weren't for all the freaking customers."

Off in the corner, Tempus grunted in amusement, and then pointed at the clock. Looking at it, Tessia smiled.

"You're lucky," Cordner said, with a sigh. "Your shift's over in about ten minutes. I own this place."

Retrieving her timecard, Tessia asked, "Whose shift is up next?"

There was a pause, and then Cordner sobbed slightly. "Xarsus," he said. "Just what I needed tonight. A Man With Wdjat preaching at me in a language I can't understand. If he didn't make good martinis I'd have fired him months ago."

The Magician of Faith patted him on the shoulder.

**0000000**

The letter now sat on a counter in the apartment's kitchenette. Fifteen leaned over it, eyes shut, thinking.

_If the letter's correct_, his thoughts began, _then Gaia is almost here. Which means I have perhaps an hour to get out of here and find somewhere else to hide._

He reached into his pocket and set three magic cubes on the counter. His palm stayed over them, checking their auras. A Scroll of Bewitchment, a Sword of Deep-Seated, and a Cold Wave comprised the small group.

_All right,_ he thought, _I'll use the Scroll to disguise myself as D-15C again, and make a break for it. If I get stopped, I'll freeze them with the Cold Wave, and if all else fails I'll use the Sword to break free. And I'll go to... to..._

The question struck him like a falling safe. Where was there to go? He'd already run twice, and the second time he had barely escaped. He had no favors to call in, nowhere to find shelter.

And now a certain voice he had tried to stifle amid his thoughts pushed the other ideas aside and began to speak, clearly and loudly.

_The first time you ran,_ it told him, _Nine died. He was your friend, and he died because you ran._

"That's not true," he said aloud. "His death was unconnected."

_You're wrong and we know it,_ the voice said. _He was killed by that shapeshifter, the one who impersonated Don Zaloog. The prime suspect for all those killings they're blaming you for. Don't make me drag you down Memory Lane, Fifteen, because those cobblestones are very, very hard._

"All right," Fifteen said to himself, "point taken."

_Look what happened when you were in hiding,_ the voice resumed. _D-15B was killed by the shapeshifter. A bunch of other murders in the papers were probably its fault, too. That Ancient Elf died because you were hiding from Gaia. And when you ran the second time, you got that Dark Elf killed._

"That wasn't my fault," Fifteen muttered.

_I'm on a roll here,_ the voice interrupted. _Either way, if you run away again, Gaia will kill everything between you and himself. You've caused more damage running away than you have just standing still. Time for you to stop running._

Fifteen was about to make another remark when it sank in. The voice (which he recognized as his conscience) was right. Every time he had run, someone or something died because of him. And if he ran this time, abandoning Tessia and Naomi...

He opened his eyes and looked around the apartment. His aura traces were all over it. The apartment would be a beacon for Gaia.

"If I run this time," he said to himself, "they'll be the ones to die for it."

_There's no way you can stand for that,_ his conscience said.

Fifteen paused, and scooped up the magic cubes, stuffing them into one pocket.

"I see what I have to do," he declared. He then paused, shook a bit, and continued, "Even though I'm absolutely going to hate myself for it."

**0000000**

Seated in front of a mirror, the Dark Witch (she had yet to pick a name for herself) idly hummed as she applied her lipstick. Tonight, regardless of the expense, she was going to enjoy herself. It had taken weeks for her to get on the list at the Forbidden Palace, even with her status on the Council, and she was going to take full advantage of it. And if she was lucky, Ansatsu would be there...

A sigh broke through the newly-glossed lips as she pondered their decision once more. As much as she loved him, she had to question Ansatsu's wisdom in choosing to confirm the rumors. Still, she would stand by him, no matter what the fallout.

Before she could even register the blurs on her peripheral vision, twin knives crossed the Dark Witch's throat, dug in, and pulled back. Both of her hands flew up as blood poured out over them. The chair fell, and she raised to her feet, gasping futilely.

And in front of her as she turned around was Ansatsu, cleaning his knives carefully. Unable to speak, all she could do was shed a tear, before the world went black.

Seconds after that, the ninja melted into itself and resumed being the Fiend Megacyber. Smashing open her closet, it took the Dark Witch's spear and hid it on its person. Before turning to go, it set a letter next to the mirror.

**0000000**

The Central Shadow Realm had three places where they could put the various monsters who happened to break the law. The first was concealed amid the pneumatic regulararity of the Machine Habitation Quarters, for the minor offenders. The second, for major offenders, was at the very edge of the Work Quarters.

Those who had little to no respect for the law, and broke the big laws (or just wouldn't stop breaking the smaller laws), found themselves sent to the Maximum Offender Lockup, located deep, very deep, under the hub station for the trains. Gaia's chambers were about a mile west of the main prison; the bulk of the Maximum Offender Lockup consisted of holding cell after holding cell, fifty in all, in a circle around the central guard station. Food was delivered from the surface once daily.

In Cell 29, one particular offender flipped a thin piece of metal repeatedly. He wore red armor, although they had taken away his cape at the same time they had confiscated his sword and shield. His fingertips crackled with restrained magical energy - the floor of his cell was a solid plate of metalsilver, a material that naturally bled away magic, and his powers were thus tampered down. How much it cost was a favorite question of his.

His file identified the prisoner in Cell 29 as Breaker the Magical Warrior, arrested, convicted, and sentenced to four hundred year's imprisonment for killing some twenty monsters, all Level Five and over. His official reason for doing so was, according to a statement he'd made during the arraignment, "Envy". When asked why he'd stabbed the last victim, a Giltia the Dark Knight, so many times (the coroner had reached 100 before giving up), his official answer was, "I don't like Mondays."

And his attention was quickly drawn to one of the guards approaching his cell. Grabbing the metal piece out of the air, he turned to the Swordstalker and asked, "Is there something you want?"

The guard in question looked like something was crushing his brain from within. Jerkily, it took a key off its belt, unlocked the cell, and then collapsed and shattered. All that was left was his key ring.

Swinging off his bunk, Breaker retrieved the keys, and then stepped out of his cell. The magic in his body sprang to life once he was off the metalsilver, and he could feel it crackling on his fingers. At that point, he saw someone in the shadows.

A set of guards rushed at Breaker, but each one of them fell before they could reach him, clutching at their throats. The Magical Warrior's progress to the figure in the shadows was thus unimpeded, and once he was there, his eyes grew wide. "Damn," he said. "I thought you were just a rumor."

_As you can see, I'm clearly not,_ the figure replied. It handed over a sword, a shield, and a cape, all of which Breaker recognized as his. _I've let you out so you can do a job for me... as you may well have guessed._

Putting the cape on, Breaker tested his sword's weight in his hand. "Nothing comes for free. What is it you want me to do?"

Even as a mental picture filled Breaker's mind, he could hear the voice of his rescuer in his head. _Find that girl and bring her to me. She will be of much use to me once I have her. Fail and you won't survive to know it._ The elevator to the surface descended as it finished its statement.

"I don't know," Breaker began, "abduction of a Level Four isn't quite my style..." And then his brain felt like it was on fire. Clutching his head, Breaker screamed.

_I picked you because you've proven to be ruthless, not because of what you did. Anyone can kill a Level Five or higher if they know what to do. You barely escaped the death sentence once - be assured I'm not nearly as forgiving._ The speech ended, and the Magical Warrior sank to one knee. _Now do as I said._

"You've got yourself a deal," Breaker grunted, trying not to vomit.

**0000000**

Groups of Opticlops were hard at work in the Low-Level Zombie Housing Complex, moving gigantic piles of trash - wood planks from abandoned buildings, discarded weapons, pieces from stripped-down Overdrives - and lashing them together with Darkworld Thorn vines. Their supervisors, Lesser Fiends, strode up and down the lines, occasionally slamming one of their underlings face-first into the road if they felt the work wasn't up to par. The wall being assembled was of utmost importance; they had little pity for slackers.

At fifty minutes after eight, the sound of flapping wings could be heard. Two Fiend Skull Dragons flew up to the barrier, a large gondola strapped between them. Their eyes had the trademark blank look of a Brain Control victim. Once they landed, the door of the gondola opened, and a Beast of Talwar stepped out, weapons drawn. Right behind him came the Dark Ruler Ha Des, looking none the worse for wear for having spent over a week in hiding.

The leader of the Lesser Fiends approached the Dark Ruler, bowing with his left arms across his chest. "The work is almost finished, master," he announced.

"Very good, Belphegor," Ha Des replied. "Arm the workers; if what I saw on the way here is any indication, we'll be making use of that barricade shortly."

He had barely finished the sentence when there was an explosion on the outside of the barricade. As the smoke cleared, the Dark Ruler rose to his feet and asked, "What was that one?"

Belphegor glanced over the barricade, his arms busy loading four separate Final Flame guns. "A lot of area damage and smoke, but little shrapnel. Most likely a Smashing Ground," he reported. "That was just to let us know they're here."

As he said it, three figures blurred into view in front of the wall, weapons drawn. All three wore full body coverings, complete with masks and bandanas. The one on the left wore blue, the one on the right wore red, and the one in the middle wore black. They blurred again, and then they were gone.

Ha Des cursed, causing the air around him to flicker with surpressed power. "I knew it," he said. "The Dark Scorpions and the Yamiryu Ninja Clan have had an alliance for years." He then shouted to the groups of Opticlops, all of whom had taken out Ookazi guns. "Fire at any blur you see!" he shouted. "Ten thousand dollars to the one who kills the Strike Ninja!"

A flicker crossed the eye of one Opticlops, and he fired into the night. Thus did he fire the first shot in the latest battle between the Ha Des Business Syndicate and the Dark Scorpions.

**0000000**

"You really are suicidal, aren't you?"

Tessia's words were about what Fifteen had expected to hear. She had returned from work just in time to hear Fifteen announce his plan, after all. Naomi, who was also home, just stayed in the back, third eye shut and trying not to look at the pair.

"I have no other choice," the fiend said as he looked into Tessia's eyes. "Every time I run, it never helps. I must go and face the consequences. I must go and face down Gaia."

Naomi spoke up now, looking uneasily at Fifteen. "But how do you know it will be Gaia?" she asked.

Deciding not to mention the letter, Fifteen instead explained, "According to legend, when Gaia was in the Second Dragon War, he befriended a Curse of Dragon. That has to be why he was heading to the Dragon Lairs. He took seven days to get there, but if he's on dragonback, he'll be back any minute. And regardless of whether it's true or not..." He lowered his head. "Even if he doesn't come back, I can still end all the turmoil just by turning myself in. I may not have done it, but I can end it just by being arrested."

One of Tessia's hands grabbed hold of Fifteen's jacket, and she yelled, "But you know you'll be executed! They won't even bother with jail! Are you willing to die?"

"The Graveyard has to be better than running and having other people die!" he yelled back, prying the Magician of Faith's fingers off his jacket. "If I hide here any longer, they're sure to find me, and if I run I put you at risk. I have no choice but to go out and settle this."

The logic sank in, and Fifteen could see Tessia's resistance melt behind her eyes. It was quickly replaced with tears, as she settled in his waiting arms - it struck him how light and small she really was. "I'm..." She sobbed. "I'm just scared for you..."

He answered truthfully, "And I'm terrified for me, but I'm out of choices now." His hand stroked her hair.

Naomi's voice broke through the sadness: "That may well be, but you shouldn't be. After all, we're going with you." She smiled as she said it, third eye opening.

Something in Fifteen's worried resolve cracked, and he lifted a finger, saying, "Now, wait, it was fine before, but..."

"It's not like we can just leave," she continued. "After all, we've harbored a fugitive now for over a week. We're accomplices."

His finger dropped.

Picking up on this, Tessia smiled, her tears drying up, and finished their sentiment with, "So if we go with you, not only will you be less afraid, but we can settle all this at once. Isn't that right?"

A million lines of argument rose and fell in Fifteen's mind, and he finally dropped his head, surrendering. "You win," he said in resignation. "We leave as soon as I find my spine."

**0000000**

This meeting being very important, all but two of the Shadow Council representives had shown up. The two absentees, Ansatsu and the Dark Witch, were conspicuous, but Exodia had promised to explain the reason for that when it became clear.

Currently, the Low-Level Monster Advocate, Ophelia, had the floor, and as usual, she was in the middle of a very long, very dry speech concerning the latest abuses to Level Three and less monsters. Sellick, the Harpies Brother who served as Beast and Winged Beast Representative, had fallen asleep in his chair. Mr. Volcano, at the Pyro and Thunder Representative chair, was still recovering from a cold, and held onto his head - conveniently, he was doing so with his hands over his ears. The Machine, Rock, and Plant Representative, the Machine King, had apparently shut himself down. Even Escalus, the Police Force Representative, who had lived through countless official banquets in his career, currently had to stomp on his toes to stay awake.

"...as I have mentioned in Point 325, Subpoint 6, the rise in violent assaults against Level Two or lower Reptiles has increased at a rate three percent higher than the rate of increase in any other crime against them. Point 545 concerns reasons as to why this is so..." The Queen's Double shuffled her papers and cleared her throat, apparently about to launch down another winding path of reasoning.

D'Ampton, the Lord of Dragons and the Blue Eyes White Dragon's official stand-in, leaned over and whispered to Raelvion, "If she starts referring to previous speeches, please destroy me."

Before Ophelia could resume, Exodia's voice echoed off the Shadow Council chamber walls: "That will be all, Ophelia. The Shadow Council respectfully requests that you leave the chamber at this time." Stunned, the Queen's Double gathered up her notes and slid away from the podium, head down and making sniffing noises.

The sound of Exodia's voice awoke the Machine King and Sellick. The latter turned to Pumpking, the Zombie Representative, and whispered, "This must be serious. He only throws Ophelia out when something big's about to go down."

The Forbidden One stood up, arms at his sides and his eyes narrowed. A Meda Bat fluttered away behind him. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Shadow Realm Council, I have just received word on the status of the Trap Creator's Guild Representative, Ansatsu, and the Magic Creator's Guild Representative, the Dark Witch." He paused. "I am greatly sorrowed to report that both were found murdered in their apartments."

A second's pause passed, and then Sellick yelled, "WHAT?" Immediately afterwards, chaos and shouting filled the chamber. Even as the volume rose and accusations flew across the floor, Raelvion merely sighed and pressed his hand to his forehead. Tilde looked at him, but he just gave her a look of resignation.

One of Exodia's fists slammed into his lectern hard enough to dent it. "Order!" he shouted, and the room quieted down. "Thank you," he said before resuming. "The identity of the murderer is unquestionable. Letters were found at both crime scenes; in both cases, they were brief, taunting, and signed by 'the Shadow Killer'. Until now, the murders, while remaining reprehensible, have all concerned monsters of lower level. This time, however, he is directly challenging us." He paused again, taking a deep breath. "Witty Phantom D-15A must be captured. This is undeniable. Therefore, I make this proposal: that we declare marital law until such time as he is caught..."

An observer outside the chambers, hearing the reaction to the proposal, could be forgiven for thinking Pandemonium had broken into the Shadow Council chambers.

To no one's surprise, it was Forseti, the Buster Blader who served as Warrior and Beast-Warrior Representative, who pressed his Request Turn button first. Taking a megaphone from under his lectern (which he kept ready for situations like this), he called out, "I second Exodia's proposal! It is for the good of all the Central Shadow Realm that we do this! Sure, minor abuses of power are to be expected, but you must weight the advantage against the cost! If we catch D-15A, we will take out a major threat to public safety! Objectors?"

Bringing his staff down on the Request Turn button, Raelvion stood up, amplified his voice with magic to be heard over the chaos, and shouted, "I object to the proposal! Public safety will only be compromised by going into martial law! What good is going into a full crackdown and patrol of all quarters in the name of one monster? And with Gaia returning, it's even less likely we can conclude the martial law without casualties! I demand a vote!" He sat down, the spell shutting off.

The argument grew so loud that Exodia finally brought both fists down on the lectern, reducing it to splinters. "**ORDER!**" he screamed, startling Ophelia in the hall. "Both arguments make sense, and thus we will go to a vote." Suleiman set another lectern in front of his master, and the Forbidden One massaged his temples a moment before announcing, "You may vote now."

All monsters concerned pressed either the "Aye" or "Nay" buttons on their lecterns. A moment passed, and the room lit up with either green lights for "Aye" or red for "Nay.

With Ophelia in the hall and the Toon Gemini Elf (Toon World Representation) abstaining, there were twelve votes, not counting Exodia.

Ten lights blazed green. Only the Machine King and Raelvion had red lights before their lecterns.

"The proposal is passed," Exodia declared. "Martial law shall be implemented immediately."

A long, drawn-out sigh escaped Raelvion's lungs before something tugged at his perception. Standing up, he asked quietly, "Permission to be excused."

**0000000**

The time was now ten minutes after nine. Fifteen stepped out of the front door of the Low-Level Zombie Housing Complex 3, and then paused as a Final Flame shot clipped the wall beside him. A bead of sweat rolled down his face, and he swallowed hard. One hand dove into his pocket to check on his magic cubes.

Behind him, Tessia and Naomi both placed a hand on his shoulder. Courage returned to him, the Witty Phantom moved forward, inadvertantly trodding on shards from the slain on both sides. Off to his left, another Smashing Ground took out part of the street.

A Lesser Fiend, the one named Belphegor, pointed four Final Flame guns at Fifteen, shouting, "Friend or foe?"

"Shadow Killer," he replied. "Now stand aside before you become one of the victims."

There was a pause, and then Belphegor raised his guns and stepped aside. Even he knew better than to fight unwinnable fights.

Followed by his companions, Fifteen tried not to watch as the battle raged on. A building caught fire, its windows shattering in the intense heat. The sounds of gunfire filled the air, and the Witty Phantom found himself stepping over more and more corpses in his way - here an Opticlops, there an Armed Ninja. But his goal was set.

The three reached a Labyrinth Tank post, and Naomi pressed the button. When the tank arrived, it threw Chick the Yellow three blocks away.

"Where to?" the driver asked as Fifteen and his allies buckled in.

"The Level Four Fiend Living Quarters," came the reply.

**0000000**

Ten minutes later, the tank arrived, and Fifteen and allies disembarked. Saying, "Watch your ass, man," the tank smashed through the road anew.

Running ahead of the spellcasters, Fifteen stood in the center of the Level Four Living Quarters, screaming, "Gaia! Gaia! I'm waiting right here! Come on down!"

Tessia and Naomi both thought their friend had lost his mind, as he continued to scream at the sky. And then came a low, ominous hiss.

"How very considerate of you."

And from the sky he came, mounted on the back of the Curse of Dragon, holding tight to the reins with one hand and onto a lance with the other. He swooped down, eyes burning with hate behind his helmet, pulling up only when he was about to run into the street.

The Curse of Dragon's tail touched the road, and it stayed there, right in front of Fifteen. Warrior and fiend locked eyes.

"That was quick," Fifteen finally said.

"Didn't want to waste time," Gaia said in return.

A cold wind blew across the Central Shadow Realm.


	9. Conflict and Madness

(Author's note: Yamato the Noble Samurai is a creation of Cyber Commander, and as thus is used with his permission. All credit for the character is his.) 

A cold wind still blew across the Central Shadow Realm. Fifteen shivered a little, holding his hat to his head with one hand. Tessia and Naomi, behind him, backed away as he glared up, still staring into the eyes of his enemy.

"Do you know how much it wears out one's feet to travel by foot to the Dragon Lairs?" Gaia the Dragon Champion asked, leaning forward on the Curse of Dragon's back. "It's a seven-day hike across rugged, uneven terrain, interspersed with constant battle against dragons and their allies. To be honest, it's quite a relief to be airborne."

Fifteen, who had never traveled further than a mile by foot on any given day in his life, replied, "Sounds like it. And I see all those stories concerning you and the Curse of Dragon are true."

Gaia nodded. "Most of them, anyway," he clarified. "Some of them describe a more... prurient interest between myself and my mount than is actually the case."

Tessia and Naomi both blushed, and the Witty Phantom shook his head. "Amazing, how sick some monsters can be," he said, one hand reaching into his pocket to ready the Sword of Deep-Seated cube. "Then again, you were always known for how much you cared for the animals you rode on."

"That much is true," Gaia said, one gauntleted hand patting his dragon's head. "I truly loved Slepneir, until you killed him. Honestly, you have no respect for the calvalry."

"Said calvalry was trying to kill me at the time, so I feel justified in my disrespect," the fiend said in return.

Gaia countered with, "Any good horseman would rather be killed than see their mount die. Most who lose their horses kill themselves afterwards - remember the tale of Mefist the Infernal General?"

Fifteen did remember: the story stated that after winning a thousand battles, Mefist committed suicide when the Vampire Lord Meier slaughtered his horse. "I note you're still alive," he replied.

"Force of habit," Gaia said, sighing. "I can't justify my own death until you're dead. Bad luck for us, I guess."

The parlay was now over. Fifteen withdrew the Sword of Deep-Seated cube from his pocket, and then called over his shoulder to the girls, "Tessia, Naomi, find somewhere safe to hide!" They ran off, and he returned his attention to his opponent.

The Curse of Dragon snorted a fireball, nearly scorching Fifteen's shirt cuff. "It thinks you're an utter fool," Gaia declared, dropping the reins and retrieving his second lance. He clashed the weapons against each other.

"Can't make everyone happy," Fifteen replied, as the cube activated and his sword appeared in his hand.

"I happen to think you're a fool as well," the Dragon Champion continued, his mount rising higher into the air.

Stepping onto a bench for a bit of height, the Witty Phantom swung his sword once over his head, replying, "All a matter of opinion."

The two stared at each other once more, and then both pointed their weapons at each other, staring down them.

"You know... I question whether you were even sane before the Second Dragon Wars," Fifteen said.

"It's quite possible I wasn't. Too bad you'll be dead before you figure it out," Gaia replied.

Fifteen's eyes narrowed. "Who says I won't kill you?"

Gaia shouted, "By all means, try!"

And the battle was on.

**0000000**

The center field of the Council Lower Quarter, as opposed to that of the Upper Quarter, was completely empty. This was more for convenience's sake than aesthetics - it was the mustering ground for the Central Shadow Realm Armed Forces. And tonight, thirteen minutes after ten, the field was filled with monsters of all sorts, eager to support their home city.

Standing before them, the commanding officer of the army began to seriously reconsider his choice of career. He was also beginning to wish that Freed the Matchless General, known now as Dupin, had never left to take charge of the Central Shadow Realm Police Force.

But, Gilford the Lightning thought as he readjusted his left gauntlet, all jobs have their drawbacks, and to serve Exodia in so exalted a fashion is blessing enough. He kept telling himself that even as the Hibikime squadron got into a yelling match with a group of Goblin Attack Forces.

"ATTENTION!" he finally yelled, and since it was accompanied by a crack of thunder, it caught the notice of the 10,000-odd monsters on the field. They turned towards him and saluted. "It is my duty to inform you that we have received orders from Exodia the Forbidden One himself! We are to enter the various quarters of the city and maintain order! And if we find the Shadow Killer..." He paused, smiling. "It is our duty to terminate him! Dare we disobey?"

Every monster in the army cried out, "NO!"

Drawing his sword, Gilford flourished it overhead. "Then prepare for battle! Your squadron's Marauding Captain will have your orders!" He turned his back on the cheering army, sheathing his sword and beginning to recall why he took the job in the first place. Seeing his aide, a Getsu Fuhma, approaching, he asked her, "Any new messages from the Council?"

"Yes, sir," she replied, holding up a sheet of paper. "They respectfully request that you send a detachment to deal with the riots."

The commander's expression was completely unreadable as he asked, "Riots?"

The Getsu Fuhma nodded, pointing to the sheet. "Yes, sir. Since fifty minutes after eight, around the same time as the fighting between Ha Des and the Dark Scorpions began. We think they're related incidents."

One of Gilford's eyebrows began to twitch under his helmet. "Who's in charge of gathering intelligence in this army?" he asked.

His aide shut her eyes, thinking a moment, before answering, "Mazata the Zapper number MZ-47D, sir."

"Remind me to have him fired and/or killed," Gilford said, before turning back to his troops and shouting, "Soldiers! I have new orders for you..."

**0000000**

The monsters of the Central Shadow Realm normally had no interest in rioting. Those of lower level took their burdens quietly (or, in the case of Ophelia, not so quietly), those of Level Four suffered in silence, and those of higher level had nothing to complain about. Most of the time, even if life wasn't comfortable, the monsters of the Central Shadow Realm would let it slide.

Don Zaloog, however, was both a very passionate speaker and a man in need of a cover, knowing that the Dark Scorpions couldn't afford to have the army on them when they fought against Ha Des. And so he had made some very quick and dirty speeches.

And by the time he was done, full-blown rioting had erupted. The Warrior and Beast-Warrior Living Quarters were the primary instigators, the natural anger of both groups being used to full advantage, but Don Zaloog had seen the wisdom of ticking off the Pyro and Thunder Living Quarters as well. The mobs made their way from quarter to quarter, either by train or on the roads (normally only used by monsters rich enough to afford Oni Tanks or Overdrives). By ten minutes after nine, the riots were a full-scale emergency.

In the Level Six Warrior Living Quarters, the Level Fours and lower were on a rampage, smashing out store windows and hurling Hinotama bombs into buildings. One building in particular, however, stood so far unmolested. It was the plain brown, arch-roofed building known simply as the Dojo of Yamato.

The owner of said dojo was currently in meditation, ignoring the cries of blood outside. He was Yamato the Noble Samurai, master of the dojo and in many ways a bit of a snob. Having made his reputation during the Coming of the Great Leviathan, he had retired to this dojo, where he had a small class of disciples who sought to carry on his ways. In other words, he had little to fear.

The woman sitting beside him, the Command Knight, was a little more grounded in the physical than the spiritual. She constantly looked out the window at the rampaging mob, her concentration long since gone. Finally, breaking his silence, Yamato muttered, "Why so nervous?"

She replied, "You know how the uncontrolled get. What will we do if they attack us?"

One of the samurai's eyebrows arched, and he supressed a laugh, saying, "Oh, please! All know my reputation, and most fear it. They wouldn't dare to attack me!"

The dojo's door slammed open, and a teary-eyed woman in ninja garb glared at Yamato. Catching her breath, she screamed, "Hypocrite!" and threw an active Hinotama into the room. Yamato stared at it a moment.

Five minutes later, as the temple burned to the ground, the Noble Samurai had managed to cut a path through the enraged monsters outside his door. His armor was stained with smoke, and the silk he wore under it was scorched. The Command Knight was in equally bad condition, her hair a sooty mess. Coughing, she hissed with venomous sarcasm, "They wouldn't dare to attack you, huh?"

"So I forgot about Lady Ninja Yae!" Yamato retorted, coughing himself as he marched towards a Labyrinth Tank post. "You know what I think of ninjas!"

**0000000**

A fireball shot from the Curse of Dragon's mouth, destroying the bench Fifteen was standing on. He had already kicked off the back and brought his sword down, cursing as it glanced off the Curse's carapace.

Gaia swung a lance around, catching Fifteen in the stomach and laughing. "Not as soft as Slepneir was, is it?" he taunted Fifteen. "This time you can't just impale my dragon - you have to do it the hard way!" A massive gout of flame scorched along the ground, aiming straight for the fiend.

Fifteen threw himself to one side, leaning on a lamp post and catching his breath. His eyes flicked toward an alley, where Tessia and Naomi had found a dumpster and were currently cowering in it. Satisfied that they were safe from collateral damage, he spun around the post, only to find himself staring straight at Gaia. A quick roll backward was all that saved him from being bisected.

The Curse of Dragon rose into the air, and then swooped down, Gaia holding out both lances. Fifteen sidestepped and swung at the knight's back, only to be countered by the dragon's tail. Gaia whistled, and the Curse of Dragon spun around before ramming its head into Fifteen's stomach. The Witty Phantom went flying, slamming into a stone wall. Pulling himself to his feet, Fifteen felt his ribs and silently cursed. Two felt broken, and he was sure there would be a new record before the fight was done. The last record, he reminded himself, was five.

Suddenly, he remembered the Cold Wave in his pocket.

The Curse of Dragon inhaled, and Fifteen waited for the right moment. Just as it breathed fire, he threw the magic cube. A massive cloud of steam rose from the impact, and Fifteen grabbed the Curse of Dragon's rose, bringing the blade down in an overhead chop...

...but then Gaia knocked the sword aside and grabbed Fifteen's shirt. He was laughing hysterically, saying, "Did you really just try to blind me? I've fought dragons - you learn to recognize shapes in smoke very quickly!" And he threw Fifteen across the street as punctuation. The sidewalk shattered as he struck the ground, his left jacket arm tearing off and the shirt sleeve threatening to join it.

Turning his sword point-down, Fifteen used it as a crutch, pulling himself to his feet. At least one vertebrae, he decided, had shattered in the impact, and if his leg wasn't cracked he was fortunate. He lifted the sword, biting his lip to ignore the pain, and took a fighting stance again. One foot slipped despite his efforts to keep it still.

Gaia just stared, and then tucked his lances away and began to applaud. "Very amusing," he told his opponent. "I love when an opponent has a will like yours - it's almost noble. Despite all my best efforts, you're still standing up, even if it's only barely. Too bad I can only kill you once." He snapped his fingers.

Its eye burning a dark purple, the Curse of Dragon inhaled deeply, and then unleashed a larger stream of fire than ever before. Fifteen tried to throw himself aside, but his legs refused to respond. By the time he moved, his left arm was caught in the flames.

The Witty Phantom screamed, his very flesh cracked and searing under the incredible heat. It was like shoving his arm into the heart of a Charcoal Inpachi! Thankfully, the stream of fire cut out quickly enough, and he was able to draw back his arm to examine it.

The wind was knocked from his lungs. The parts that weren't burned black had no skin left on them - he could see his own bone. It was all he could do not to throw up then and there.

Watching from the dumpster, Tessia screamed, and then turned away, bursting into tears. Naomi's reaction was much simpler - she fainted and fell back into the trash.

Even Gaia seemed disturbed, grunting under his breath. "I've seen monsters die under the breath of a dragon," he said, "and what was left before they shattered looked better than your left arm does now. I'd say your best option for a painless death would be to cut it off with your sword. I'll still kill you, but at least you won't feel any pain from that part."

For a moment, Fifteen actually raised his Sword of Deep-Seated, looking between his elbow and shoulder joints as if trying to pick a incision point, but then he lowered it and shook his head. "I have plans that require this arm to stay on," he replied. Internally, however, he wondered how long this fight would last with him barely able to move, let alone run.

The lid of the dumpster lifted up, and a Blue Medicine cube struck the ground between his feet. Fifteen picked it up, activated it, and drank down the medicine. While his arm was too damaged to heal this way, he could feel his legs solidifying, and his vertebrae knitting together. To his left, he could see Gaia charging his lances.

Just as Gaia's energy burst hit the concrete, Fifteen rolled away, his left arm dangling uselessly beside him. The ground he'd sat on exploded, throwing debris into the air. One piece of it struck Fifteen in the head, staining his hair with blood. Only then did he realize he'd lost his hat a while before.

Hovering in front of Fifteen, Gaia snorted, tapping one lance against his helmet. "Any other fiend in the Shadow Realm would be dead by now, Fifteen," he said. "You have the devil's own luck! I was hoping not to have to use these, but..." He lifted his lances into the air, and then threw them down, both lances sticking straight up once their tips were embedded in the street. From his saddlebags, he withdrew two magic cubes and activated them. The magic resolved, and he was carrying two gigantic axes, both with the head of a screaming man holding the blade.

The Witty Phantom's heart sank. It was bad enough to confront an opponent holding even one Axe of Despair. But two? That was like facing down the Reaper of the Cards himself.

Gaia twitched, and then threw the axes. They spun at Fifteen, going for both his head and his legs. Only one course of evasion presented itself, and so he dove between them, only to spring to the right to avoid the Curse of Dragon's breath. The axes returned to Gaia, and he threw them again. This time a quick jump to the right got Fifteen out of the way by centimeters, whereupon he fell prone to duck a wave of fire. The Sword of Deep-Seated barely remained in his hand.

Spinning the axes in either hand, Gaia laughed in deranged mirth. "Oh, Fifteen, Fifteen!" he said once the laughing stopped. "You truly are too much fun to fight against! Oh, such a pity I can only kill you once!" Hidden within his helmet, the Dragon Champion's eyes wandered to the dumpster, and then his arm shot out.

One Axe of Despair shot straight towards Tessia and Naomi's hiding spot.

A scream tore itself from Fifteen's throat, and he jammed the point of his sword into the ground. Using it as a vaulting aid, he hurled himself in the axe's trajectory, barely getting his sword up in time. The impact dragged him back hard, until his back made contact with the metal wall of the dumpster. After the shock wore off, he realized that in addition to all his other injuries, he'd lost a shoe during the skid.

The Axe of Despair returned to Gaia's hand, and he shook his head. "Friendship is just going to make it more painful, Fifteen." He clanged the blades of the axes against each other. "But if you insist on protecting them, come out to the center of the street, so we can finish this the easy way."

Limping, his vertebrae having rebroken and taken two others with it, Fifteen dragged himself to the center of the street. He lowered his sword and awaited the killing blow.

Gaia sighted down one of his axes, and then lifted both. "Goodbye, Fifteen," he said, and threw both at once.

Whereupon the Witty Phantom jabbed his sword straight up in the air, twisting it once to catch both Axes of Despair on it. The axes clanged off the blade, chipping it, and rebounded off the road before returning to their user. The sword then fell, and Fifteen dropped to his knees, his defiance spent.

There was utter silence from all three: Gaia, Fifteen, and Tessia, still watching from the dumpster (Naomi still unconscious). Then Gaia shouted, "In the name of Slifer the Sky Dragon, Fifteen, play fair!" He took aim again...

...and a voice cried out, _"Halt!"_

In the sky above both combatants, both of whom looked up (Fifteen through a haze of pain), an Interdimensional Matter Transporter shimmered into view. It shattered like glass, discharging its sole passenger.

The purple robes alone would have identified him. But adding in the tall, peaked hat, the ice-blue eyes, the green metal staff, and the rather large shoulderpads made the identification impossible to botch.

"The Dark Magician..." Fifteen croaked.

Seeing the idol and representative of all spellcasters in the Central Shadow Realm, Tessia bit her lip to keep from letting out a squeal, and then shook Naomi awake. Once the Witch of the Black Forest saw the Dark Magician, she too had to mute herself.

Standing between the fighters, the Dark Magician Raelvion examined the situation. He noted Fifteen's horribly burned arm. He noted Gaia's aerial location, judging wind speeds in his head. His gaze fell on Gaia's Axe of Despair, before moving to the other Axe of Despair in the knight's other hand. Working it all out, he tallied it up mentally.

"Oh, damn," he said audibly, just as Gaia prepared for his next attack.

**0000000**

A fight of such ferocity as the one between Gaia and Fifteen was bound to draw attention. In this case, it caught the eye of a Gradius, commissoned by the Central Shadow Realm Police Force, that happened to be doing a random flyby. Using its built-in communication device, it sent a brief and to-the-point message to HQ.

Aysev and Geefor immediately received a message from the chief. They were in his office within seconds.

The Chief of Police himself, Dupin, drummed his fingers on the desk and stared down at the Unfriendly Amazon and the Sasuke Samurai. "One of the Gradius patrols has found our suspected Shadow Killer. That's the good news..." He paused, stroking his beard a moment, and then added, "The bad news is that he's currently engaged in lethal combat with Gaia, and this time it's Gaia the Dragon Champion."

Putting a hand to her forehead, Aysev groaned, "There goes that case..."

"Not necessarily," Dupin interrupted. "We have to prove to the Council that we're more reliable than a homicidal, dragon-riding nightmare. Thus, I am authorizing the use of Weapon Seven-Five-Oh."

Geefor closed his eyes a moment, and then gasped as he realized what that meant. "The Offering Cannon?" he exhaled.

Dupin nodded, pushing a folded piece of paper over the desk. "Take this down to Requisition," he ordered. "Witty Phantom D-15A and Gaia are fighting in the Level Four Fiend Living Quarters. If D-15A is killed, you have authorization to terminate Gaia the Dragon Champion. If he is still alive but has not won the fight, terminate Gaia and apprehend him. If Gaia has been slain, do all in your power to take D-15A into custody. And act with extreme caution - both of them are armed and extremely dangerous. Get to it!"

As Aysev and Geefor filed out of the office, Dupin thought back to his youth, when he was simply Freed the Matchless General, leading the charge against the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, fighting against the Five-God Dragon, leading the way in a thousand hopeless charges. Sometimes he wished he'd stayed in the army instead of taking this job.

Taking out some brandy, he poured himself a snifter and sighed. Employment was a necessary evil.

**0000000**

"Magical Hats!" Invoking this power, Raelvion grabbed Fifteen and disappeared under a series of hats. One was sliced into multiple pieces by the Axes of Despair, but it wasn't the correct one.

Huddled under a hat in the far back, the Dark Magician slapped Fifteen across the face, knocking him out of his delirium. The Witty Phantom blinked twice, and then asked, "Are you really him?"

"Yes, Fifteen," Raelvion said simply. "Now listen carefully, because he'll get to this hat by process of elimination quickly enough. When he does, you need to take this..." He pressed a magic cube into Fifteen's good hand, next to the Sword of Deep-Seated, and curled the fiend's fingers around it. "And use it to take out Gaia. I'd do it myself, but this works better if you have a bunch of people supporting you, and I don't at the moment."

Forcing himself to concentrate, Fifteen read the cube's aura. And then his eyes widened. "Where did you get this... this United We Stand?"

Raelvion chuckled, despite the situation. Outside the hat, he could hear another being destroyed. "It didn't come cheap, let me tell you," he answered. "But it's the one thing that will stop Gaia at this point. When you're ready, I'll banish the hat and you'll open fire."

"I can barely stand up... How am I supposed to use this?"

Before the Dark Magician could answer, the second-to-last hat was destroyed. "Figure it out quickly, our time's up!" He jumped out of the top of the hat, causing it to disappear.

Taking quick aim, Gaia hurled his axes, and one of them clipped Raelvion's shoulder. Sent spinning, he crashed into the ground. The axes returned to Gaia, whereupon he turned his gaze on Fifteen, aiming again...

But the Witty Phantom was looking over to the dumpster. "Tessia... Naomi..." he whispered. He turned to the Dark Magician. "Representative," he continued. Taking the Sword of Deep-Seated, he placed it in his left elbow, and with a gasp of pain snapped his arm around it, locking it in place.

Tessia, Raelvion, and Gaia all winced. Naomi, meanwhile, fainted again.

Fifteen raised his hand towards Gaia, causing the Dragon Champion to stare in confusion. One thumb clicked into the United We Stand's activation switch. "I so hope this works," he grunted, the pain at a high pitch.

Gaia audibly gasped. Raelvion, clutching his shoulder, smiled softly.

_**"UNITED BLAST!"**_

From Fifteen's palm came a tremendous rush of light, ripping the very street to shreds as it blasted skyward. The light could be seen from the Council Quarters, causing Exodia to gape. It was a beacon to Aysev and Geefor, who were rushing towards the Level Four Fiend Living Quarters. It caused a certain figure to look up from his work and shake his head, somewhere in the city.

And even as Gaia threw his axes in desperation, it vaporized them before reaching him. For the first time in years, Gaia screamed, and the Curse of Dragon screeched in utter terror.

The light lasted only a minute or so, long enough to be noticed, and then died away. Dropping his hand, Fifteen smiled, and then collapsed in a heap, the Sword of Deep-Seated shattering as he hit the ground.

Gaia's armor was gone, torn to pieces. His helmet was split in two, and the Curse of Dragon's carapace was little more than scattered fragments. The Dragon Champion plummered, smashing into the street and exploding into a thousand glistening shards.

The fight was over. Gaia the Fierce Knight, later Gaia the Dragon Champion, was dead.

Using his staff to lever himself up, Raelvion stepped over to the dumpster in the alley, tapping it with his knuckles. "You can come out now," he said.

Tessia was the first out of the dumpster, after stopping to wake up Naomi again. She sped across the street to kneel by Fifteen, checking for signs of life and sighing in relief when she found them. "Oh, Fifteen," she said, stroking his bloodstained hair.

Moving alongside them, Raelvion took out another magic cube. As Tessia stepped back, he triggered it, causing a blue light to envelope Fifteen. The familiar figure of Dian Keto shimmered into appearance for a moment before vanishing, and Fifteen's arm reset itself before the burns vanished, replaced once again by healthy skin and muscle. The Witty Phantom was still unconscious, but now he was in much better condition.

Once Naomi had caught up with the group, having stopped to retrieve Fifteen's hat, the Dark Magician announced, "He should be safe to move now. Let's get him out of here before the cops show up." There was no argument.

**0000000**

Seconds after the three took Fifteen off the street, a very large crow landed on the scene of the fight, unwitnessed. It warped slightly, and then became the mirror-holding figure of the Copycat. Without any haste whatsoever, it strode up to where Gaia's lances still stood, intact, since their owner did not hold them at the time of his death.

_Take them now,_ the master's voice ordered. With one tug, it pulled first one and then the other from the street, setting them down. _Good,_ said the master's voice. _This is the last piece to our puzzle. Breaker should be accomplishing his task shortly. Now bring me Gaia's lances so we can move to Part D._

The Copycat shifted forms again, becoming the crow, before picking up both lances in its claws. Unseen still, it took flight for its next destination.


	10. Eye of the Storm, Pt 1

At first his entire left arm twitched. Slowly, the feeling returned to it, inch by inch from the fingertips to the elbow. The upper arm returned in one massive rush, taking his breath away. 

His spine was the next thing to come back to him, the bone solidifying and causing a tightening on his ribs. The ribs were next, clicking as they returned to their normal selves. Any number of lesser cuts and scrapes restored themselves, itching as the skin healed. His entire world went white...

Fifteen woke up, struggling to open his eyes. One hand found the street - hold it, that wasn't the street at all. It was too spongy to be concrete, but too firm to be soil. His eyes finally opened, and when he looked down, the Witty Phantom saw he was on a mattress. Further examination revealed he was in a low-rent bedroom, with scorch marks all over the walls, and one wall was blown out, exposing the room to the outside - although blankets were hanging over it.

Spotting a familiar nightside, he recalled the circumstances of D-15B's death, and almost broke into laughter. This was his old apartment, after being blown up by the monster mimicking him.

A low, soft tenor voice slid into his ear: "Ah, you're finally awake, Fifteen. Tea?"

Turning his head, Fifteen saw the Dark Magician sitting at the foot of the bed, sipping tea from a china cup. The cup was both chipped and scorched - and Fifteen recognized the pattern. "This used to be my apartment," he said, "and that used to be part of my china set."

"Well, a stroke of luck - you're in familiar surroundings," the spellcaster replied. "As for your china, I'm afraid the shock from the blast only spared this cup, three others and a couple of plates. I had to steal the teapot from a room down the hall." He poured a cup of tea and slid it along the bed.

A sigh left Fifteen before he sipped the tea. "I have several questions, but they boil down to three: what time is it, where are Tessia and Naomi, and who exactly are you?"

Pausing to finish his cup, the Dark Magician answered, "Respectively, twenty-three after eleven in the morning, across the hall looking for breakfast, and I am who you think I am. I am the Dark Magician DM-005A, Spellcaster Representative on the Central Shadow Realm Council. Call me Raelvion, I much prefer it."

"Where'd you get that name?"

"Such matters are private."

Acknowledging this, Fifteen drank his tea, his left arm still stiff. "You'd think someone would have called the police by now," he said, looking himself over. His left shirtsleeve was little more than a ring of scorched fabric around his shoulder, the jacket sleeve having torn off. The rest of his jacket was tattered beyond repair, his right pants leg was all but gone, and he was missing both shoes. His hat, however, was still intact and sitting on the nightstand.

"You'd think so, but there's nobody here who'd call," Raelvion said, standing up. "The building was evacuated after D-15B's death. The idea was sound, but made it the pefect hiding spot by default."

Fifteen slid out of the bed, stretching his left arm. The one big question he'd wanted to ask finally occurred to him, and he asked it: "Why were you at the fight with Gaia?"

There was a lengthy pause as Raelvion glanced out the hole in the wall, looking at the scene of the battle once again. He then replied, "I've kept a very close eye on you since the Blue Nemuriko attack, Fifteen. I spent a lot of time listening to the rumors and the stories that circulated around the 'Shadow Killer', and slowly I've tried to piece together the real truth. A very important part of the process was that you stay alive - if you died, it would be case closed." He turned to Fifteen, his expression far more serious than before. "Only a few holes still remain in the truth, and I think you can help fill them in."

The Witty Phantom stopped in mid-stretch, and looked back to Raelvion. He then picked up his hat, dusted it off, and put it on. "I'll do it," he replied.

A smile crossed Raelvion's face, and then he let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods for that," he said, "I was afraid my little speech would scare you off. This isn't the proper place to discuss such subjects, though." He reached into his robe and held up a very elaborately styled ticket. "Ever hear of the Forbidden Palace? I made reservations there this morning. I'll get the girls and we can go..."

Fifteen held up one hand to interrupt, and then kicked open the bedroom closet door. "Just a moment," he said, and one hand searched the back wall. Finding a small catch, he triggered it, and took out a carefully preserved suit.

One of the Dark Magician's eyebrows raised. "An emergency suit?" he asked.

"If I'm going to the most famous club in the Central Shadow Realm, I can't be dressed like this, now, can I?"

**0000000**

Low-Level Zombie Housing Complex 3 was completely vacant now, except for a group of Crimson Ninjas. The three of them moved slowly along the halls, hunting after a Earl of Demise they'd seen fleeing into there. Stopping a moment, one of them concentrated, sensing a group of trap cubes plastered along the walls. He signaled to his companions, and the three went to work.

Once all of the cubes were safely destroyed, the Crimson Ninjas resumed their travels. Suddenly, one of them hit something concealed in the carpet. He stopped, not moving an inch. One of the others spun around, knelt, and slashed the carpet. Seeing what it was, his eyes went wide. "Widespread Ruin!"

The other two jumped out the window just as the one stepping on it lifted his foot.

A massive explosion rained debris on the fighters below, but almost none of them noticed. It was just one in a series of similar detonations throughout the quarter. By now, very few buildings were still standing.

The Lesser Fiend known as Belphegor was backed into a corner, shooting Final Flame after Final Flame into a wave of White Ninjas. As each gun clicked empty, he threw it aside, and then dove onto the enemies, punching and biting in equal amounts. One of his arms went flying, but the fiend refused to die, until finally the combined weight of several knives slamming into his back at once brought him down in a rain of shards.

Seven Opticlops roamed the streets in a tight pack, seeking prey for their Ookazi guns. The sound of glass crunching drew their attention, and all seven turned to stare at Chick the Yellow. A second's pause later, the Dark Scorpion ran screaming, all of the Opticlops in tow. Occasionally, he leaped in the air, the better to dodge their fire.

As Chick kept running, across the quarter, a severely injured Strike Ninja collapsed against the side of what was once a thrift store, breathing heavily as he tried to gather his strength. Cliff the Trap Remover knelt next to him, examining the injuries before shaking his head and saying, "You're not making it out of this fight, old friend."

The Strike Ninja chuckled, and then coughed, blood staining the inside of his mask. "Didn't think so," he replied. "But I'm going to go out in the gaudy style."

There was a pause, and then Cliff asked, "Code X-26?"

"Of course," the dying ninja answered. "Get the others out of here."

Nodding, Cliff leapt away, shouting, "Code X-26!"

One of the Strike Ninja's hands went to a pouch at his side, and he primed the Final Destiny cube within. "Eat this, Dark Ruler," he said, just before hitting the activating switch.

When the flash faded away, everything within ten miles of where the Strike Ninja died was little more than ash. The Low-Level Zombie Housing Quarters were all but gone.

The total survivors came to about eight, all of whom had declared a temporary truce. They gathered in the train station, the one place the Final Destiny hadn't touched. The Dark Scorpions stared in awe at the piles of ash that used to be the Low-Level Zombie Housing Quarters, while two Beasts of Talwar were knelt in sorrow. The last survivor, the Dark Ruler Ha Des himself, merely sipped his wine.

"Okay," Ha Des said finally, "we'll call this one a draw."

**0000000**

Despite their best efforts, Aysev and Geefor had arrived too late to catch their suspect the previous night. They did, however, arrive just in time to be the first to see Gaia's impact crater.

Now Aysev was sitting on the street, next to a very unusual device. It looked like nothing more than an oversized crossbow, made of metal painted white. Where the tip of a bolt would be on a crossbow sat an egg-shaped protrusion, which was currently humming at a low frequency. In the very center of the device was a magic cube, the activator already primed and awaiting triggering.

This contraption was Shadow Realm Police Force Weapon #750, referred to simply as Weapon Seven-Five-Oh - the Offering Cannon. The magic cube at the weapon's center was an Offerings to the Doomed, a spell powerful enough to rip the life from a Gate Guardian. The previous night had seen the cops assembling and priming the weapon, setting it in the center of the Level Four Fiend Living Quarters. Now it just waited to be aimed at whichever Living Complex the suspect happened to come out of.

Spending the entire night on a stakeout had not done much for the Unfriendly Amazon, however. Aysev's hair was a mess, mussed up and frizzy, and her clothes were wrinkled badly. Her eyes had the glassy look of someone who had spent all night fighting off sleep. Currently, she was staring off into the distance.

When a cup bumped into her shoulder, however, she snapped back to reality and looked at its holder.

Geefor had already poured himself a cup of coffee from a thermos (she tried not to think where in that kimono he'd kept it), and now he was offering her a cup. "Stakeouts are the worst," he said. "You look like you need this."

Before Aysev replied to that, she took a sip of the coffee. Instantly, feeling returned to various parts of her body that had gone numb. Sighing in relief, she smiled and said, "You're worth more than anyone else I know, Geefor..."

Both cops were suddenly aware of movement in front of one of the Living Complexes. Aysev stood up, drawing her Sparks gun, as Geefor slid behind the Offering Cannon and aimed it towards the door.

As luck would have it, the first monster to step out of the building was the suspect himself. Witty Phantom D-15A gave no impression of the fighting he had engaged in the night before - his suit was pristine, and his shoes almost sparkled, they were so well-polished. The only sign he'd found himself in any trouble was his hat - it was beaten, battered, dented and otherwise looked messed up.

Behind the suspect - Aysev was deeply confused; the suspect was supposed to be alone - a Magician of Faith moved into the open, chatting amiably with the monster behind her. It was quickly revealed to be a Witch of the Black Forest, who seemed greatly troubled by something. The Unfriendly Amazon gritted her teeth; she hadn't expected to deal with accomplices.

The next one to leave the building almost caused Aysev to drop her gun in shock. Unless she'd gone delirious or one of them was a very good shapeshifter, it was the Dark Magician. What possible reason he would have to accompany such a criminal she couldn't fathom.

Catching herself, she cursed under her breath and then yelled, "Halt, Witty Phantom D-15A!"

On hearing his number, the Witty Phantom looked to her and then, judging from his lips, muttered, "Ah, damn." The Representative stepped behind him, staff at the ready.

"Move to one side, Mr. Representative!" Aysev continued, holding her gun on the suspect. "D-15A, you are wanted on twenty counts of murder, including the deaths of the Trap Creator's Guild Representative and the Magic Creator's Guild Representative; conspiracy against the Central Shadow Realm; and evading the police! Submit quietly or we will have no option but the use of lethal force! You have thirty seconds to decide!"

The Dark Magician did not move, instead staring with those piercing blue eyes directly into Aysev's own. She felt almost embarassed, although her gun did not waver. Meanwhile, the Witch of the Black Forest had pressed slightly into the Magician of Faith, who was comforting her the best she could. And in front of them all, the Witty Phantom just stood there, hands at his sides.

Finally, the time was up. Taking a deep breath, Aysev declared, "You have made your choice! Mr. Representative, get out of the way now! Geefor, fire the Offering Cannon!"

Taking aim at the suspect, Geefor nodded, and was just about to pull the trigger. "At once, Ays-"

Before he could fire, a gigantic skeletal hand reached down and picked up the Offering Cannon, crushing it between its fingers.

**0000000**

It was all a blur to Fifteen at that point. Having stepped out the door without any suspicions, he found himself at cannonpoint. Under his breath, he whispered to Raelvion, "Any ideas?"

"Just stand still," the Dark Magician said. "They wouldn't dare to fire as long as I'm standing next to you."

After thirty seconds had passed and the Sasuke Samurai moved to pull the trigger, Fifteen asked, "Are you sure?"

It was then that the skeletal hand reached down and destroyed the Offering Cannon. The Sasuke Samurai just barely got out of the way.

The hand belonged to a very familar Skull Servant, one who had bolted its head to its neck. Standing 100 feet tall, it clicked its teeth before shouting, "D-15A! Do you have ANY idea what I went through to find you?"

Working desperately to maintain his cool, the Witty Phantom shouted back, "You're taller than I remember you, bone-pile!"

"This is the raw power of atriple Triangle Powerboost!" it declared, raising its hands to the sky. "I could wrestle the Blue Eyes White Dragon to the ground at this point!" It then opened the top of its robe, revealing a crumbling ribcage.

Letting out a low whoosh of breath, Naomi fainted behind Fifteen.

The Skull Servant continued, "The energy is slowly destroying me, but I'll take you to the Graveyard with me, D-15A!"

At that point, the police officers had recovered from the confusion. Both of them stood directly between the giant zombie and Fifteen's group, and the Unfriendly Amazon yelled, "Hold it right there! You will not lay a hand on the Witty Phantom - he is a wanted suspect, and thus is under our protection until such time as he is taken into custody!" She raised her Sparks gun, but Fifteen could see how her hands wavered.

"The police, hmmm?" the Skull Servant said, and then he burst into a roar of laughter. "What a joke! I only wanted to kill D-15A, but wiping two cops off the face of the Central Shadow Realm is no bone off my skull!" It raised one fist into the air, its shadow falling over the Sasuke Samurai. Two shots from the Sparks gun just bounced off its robe.

Quickly, Fifteen said to Raelvion, "I have to stop him."

"You realize your problems would be solved if it took out the police..." the spellcaster replied.

"And then I'd have two more deaths on my conscience. One zombie or two warriors?"

Nodding, Raelvion pressed a primed trap cube into Fifteen's hand. "Only the cruelest monster wouldn't want to help them. Get to it."

Leaping off the steps, Fifteen ran directly in front of the threatened monsters and hurled the active trap into the Skull Servant's chest. The cube exploded in a flash of red and green lights.

After the light cleared, there was an inch-tall figure standing in the street. It looked up at Fifteen and clicked its teeth, cursing in languages none of the assembled monsters had ever heard before. "No fair using Reverse Trap!" it shouted in a high-pitched voice.

"Tell it to the Reaper," Fifteen said right before he brought his shoe down on it. There was a shattering noise, and then he raised his foot, picking a shard of what was once the Skull Servant from his heel.

Striding up to him, Raelvion said, "I think that's your first legitimate murder ever, isn't it?"

The Witty Phantom shrugged. "Who'll care?"

**0000000**

Under the streets, so low in the Central Shadow Realm that not even the Labyrinth Tanks knew of it, there was a giant cave. In this cave, Exodia had long ago placed the bones of the Five-God Dragon under the care of a particular individual - a lich, long before having become skeletal. Through bizarre magics, it had created the Skull Servants from the power still residual in the bones of the great dragon, and thus had become the King of the Skull Servants.

Now seated in a great oaken throne at the center of the Five-God Dragon's bones, the skeleton was having a light snack of chocolate-coated breadsticks - while it didn't need to eat, nor did it actually have organs, it could still taste and digest food, and knowing the details of how that worked would drive the sanest man mad. There was a pause, as the King felt one of its subjects die.

It placed a skeletal hand to its brow, sensing all the details of the death of its creation...

And then, with a shrug and a low "Meh", it returned to its snack.

**0000000**

A moment passed, during which Aysev and Geefor took in the ramifications of what had just happened. The suspect had rushed out, used a rather valuable trap cube, and saved their lives almost immediately after they had declared their intent to use lethal force. And now he was casually talking to one of the Central Shadow Realm's most important people.

Aysev shut her eyes. Something deep within herself had begun to weigh all that had happened. It all tied into one question, asking it over and over again: _Can I really handle this? Have I stepped in over my head? What's the truth behind truths in this situation?_

Geefor nudged her in the back of the knee, and Aysev opened her eyes in time to hear the Dark Magician's next words. He was standing before both of them, his staff held head-down and his eyes blazing. "As the official Representation of Spellcasters on the Central Shadow Realm Council," he declared, his voice amplified, "I, Raelvion, the Dark Magician, hereby grant Witty Phantom D-15A a pardon on any and all crimes he is accused of, regardless of whether the crimes truly happened or whether he committed them. My decision is final." A gust of wind caught his robe's hem and fluttered it about.

The wheels in Geefor's head turned an instant before he began yelling. "That's not proper conduct!" he yelled, shaking his fists. "Pardons may only be granted by decision of all voting Council members and must be ratified by Exodia! Furthermore, crimes against Council members cannot be pardoned! What makes y-"

Aysev's hand dropped on Geefor's head, silencing him. She looked over the Witty Phantom, and it all fell into place. This was far beyond her. "Very well, Mr. Representative," she said, turning Geefor towards the other side of town. "We will respect and report your decision." She then walked away, all but dragging her partner with her.

Once they were out of earshot, Geefor hissed, "You aren't actually going along with this, are you, Aysev?"

"It's too big for us, Geefor," she said, her tone barely more than a whisper.

Only then did Geefor realize what she meant, and what she had herself realized. He said not a word the rest of the way back to HQ.

**0000000**

Between the three of them still up, Fifteen's group managed to rouse Naomi back to consciousness. The rather frail woman smiled shyly, and as they helped her up she said, "Sorry about that. My nerves have taken a few too many shocks recently."

"No surprise there," Raelvion replied. "Not every day you're dragged through a series of events like this. Dust yourself off, we can't afford to be late for lunch."

Tessia looked over Fifteen, who was dusting the last shards of the Skull Servant off his shoes, and then looked away a little. A blush had settled on her cheeks, and if asked, she wouldn't be able to explain why.

Once done with his errand, Fifteen asked, "That reminds me, how are we going to get from here to the Council Lower Quarter without getting caught? You're one of them, so they won't ask questions, but pardon or no pardon, I'm still wanted."

In response, Raelvion tossed Fifteen another magic cube, one that he recognized as a Scroll of Bewitchment once it landed in his hand. Having done so, he took out another. "This," the Dark Magician said, "is a very special piece of magic indeed. It's the private transport of the Shadow Council." He activated it and threw it in the air.

There was a flash, and then a fairly large machine landed on the street next to the group. The two lower-level spellcasters gasped in amazement, and Fifteen stopped from his scroll application to admire it.

"The Interdimensional Matter Transporter," Raelvion said, smiling as he did. "It'll take you anywhere you want to go in the Shadow Realm. Fully reusuable unless you don't want it to be. Seats four, fully air-conditioned. No cup holders, though."

"Blast," Fifteen said sarcastically, "I was hoping to stop for a cup of coffee."

Naomi tapped on one of the device's bubble-like windows. "I recall making some of these," she said. "Very tricky magic to get right, especially if you want it to stand up to repeated use."

After a moment, Raelvion tapped his staff on the ground. "There will be time for talking during lunch," he insisted. "Everyone get in, please."

Tessia signaled for her friends to give her a minute, and then took hold of Fifteen's shirt collar. She lead him out about ten yards, and then started, "You were unconscious last night, and we were busy this morning, so I'll say this now."

Fifteen listened intently, only to get struck hard in the gut with a crooked staff.

"Don't do that to me again!" she yelled. "If you risk your life on another battle I'll kill you myself! Got it?"

He nodded mutely, whereupon she leaned in and embraced him tight. Something in the Witty Phantom's heart turned over.

"The children are playing," Raelvion noted as Naomi blushed.

Once all four were in the Transporter, it shimmered twice, and then disappeared.

**0000000**

A lesser-known treasure of the Council Lower Quarters was the Library Arcanium, home to over seventy thousand tomes on such subjects from cooking eggplant to summoning otherworldly nightmares. It was one of the few places in this district that employed Level Four and lower monsters.

On his break, one of those monsters was relaxing on the bench outside the building. He was a Stern Mystic, although the name didn't suit him - he'd seen many years in the Central Shadow Realm, and time had mellowed him out. Currently, he had few more pressing interests than sorting books and feeding the Winged Kuribohs.

With each toss of breadcrumbs, a new wave of the Winged Kuribohs descended to eat up. One landed next to him, and the old spellcaster's hand ruffled its furry form. It was shaping up to be a quiet afternoon when something happened.

A loud noise filled the air, splitting it like a whistle. The Winged Kuribohs flew away, and before the Stern Mystic could figure out what had happened, a giant machine appeared from nowhere. A door opened, and four figures - among them the Dark Magician, the spellcaster noted - strolled out from within, heading off in the direction of the Forbidden Palace.

Almost as an afterthought, the Dark Magician tapped the machine with his staff. It folded back into a cube, and he took it with him.

"How utterly unusual," the Stern Mystic muttered to himself. He then turned and threw more breadcrumbs. The Winged Kuribohs flew back down, and the afternoon returned to normal.


	11. Eye of the Storm, Pt 2

(Author's Note: This chapter contains excerpts from "Big Shot", by Billy Joel. All credit to him.) 

No one word could give justice to what the Forbidden Palace looked like. The bare minimum that had ever sufficed was estimated to be around twenty.

The building itself was a tremendous castle, thus the name; it easily rose past three stories. The exterior looked like solid gold, although it was merely painted that way. The doors, however, were both gigantic and made of true silver - and raregold filagree created twin pentagram designs on each door. Above the doors sat a massive engraving, showing a Celtic Guardian from behind as he gazed upon seven chalices in the air; one held jewels, the second a laurel crown, the third a statue of a tower, the fourth the head of an Empress Judge, the fifth a Sinister Serpent, the sixth a Kisetai. Whatever lay in the seventh chalice was covered under a cloak.

"The famous Unspoken Warning," Raelvion noted as the four of them made their way into the Forbidden Palace, handing their invitation to the Swordstalker guarding the door.

Fifteen blinked, and asked, "'Unspoken Warning?'"

Raelvion nodded. "The seven chalices are in the air, but he can't take any of them - he's not even sure if they're real. Never trust something just because you can see it," he explained. "That holds true both within and outside of the Central Shadow Realm."

Unlike the outside, it was possible to sum up the inside of the Forbidden Palace with one word - although it was more an incomplete oath than a word: "Holy...!" The primary color was red - the carpeting was that color, as well as the trim on the walls. The walls proper were black and gold, with the occasional painting of a famous scene from Shadow Realm history - on one wall was a giant mural of Exodia wrestling the Five-God Dragon; on another, the Susa Soldier's four-day fight with the Ryu Senshi, from the Time of the Spirits. In the center of the room sat a giant kitchen, the walls invisible ones made of force, and a small army of Bistro Butchers rushed about under the command of a Hungry Burger (one of the Forbidden Palace's slogans was "Great food is made _by_ food"). Already most of the tables surrounding the kitchen were filled up.

Fifteen's eyes had already threatened to come unhooked from their sockets if he attempted to control them, so he let them flick about as they would. Over in the corner, the Great Priest Dezard was lecturing a pair of Apprentice Magicians as they held onto his every word; on the side, the Elemental Mistress Doriado ate alone, staring off towards the stage at the back of the room. The Legendary Flame Lord himself, Reuben VII, had taken up a table as close to the stage as he could get and was currently talking up a Fire Princess; judging from her expression, he was doing quite well. And unless Fifteen's vision tricked him, the infamous Vampire Lord Orlok was near the back of the tables, drinking a very red liquid from a glass - needless to say, all four tables around his were empty.

On the aforementioned stage, one of the Central Shadow Realm's more famous performers was at work - the monster known as Danny Hypnos. Despite being an Invitation to a Dark Sleep, he had the audience fully awake as he sang:

"You went uptown riding in your limousine In your fine Park Avenue clothes;  
You had the Dom Perignon in your hand And the spoon up your nose!  
And when you wake up in the morning With your head on fire And your eyes too bloody to see,  
Go on and cry in your coffee But don't come bitchin' to me!

Because you had to be a big shot, didn't you?  
You had to open up your mouth!  
You had to be a big shot, didn't you?  
All your friends were so knocked out!  
You had to have the last word, last night,  
You know what everything's about!  
You had to have a white hot spotlight,  
You had to be a big shot last night!"

The song continued, but Fifteen was snapped out of his listening by Raelvion's hand on his shoulder, guiding him to a table an equal distance between the stairs and the stage. The stairs themselves were being closely guarded by a Steel Ogre Grotto #2, and it didn't give the impression that intruders were just quietly pushed out the back door.

Naomi was already seated, and she was all but curled into a ball in her chair - the opulence of the place was getting to her. Tessia, of course, was soaking it up - as Fifteen sat next to her, she turned to him and said, "I never thought I'd see the Forbidden Palace. I knew sticking with you would be worth it!"

"And here I thought you just liked my company," he replied sarcastically.

The Magician of Faith's expression did a complete 180, and she babbled, "Well, that's very nice too, really!"

Fifteen just smiled, making a note of it.

The server, an Earl of Demise, lurched up to their tables and handed out menus. After getting drink orders (water for Naomi, red wine for Raelvion and Tessia, whiskey on the rocks for Fifteen), he groaned, "Enjoy the show, Representative," before lurching into the kitchen.

Even as Raelvion opened his menu, he looked to Fifteen and said, "Don't forget we have serious business to attend to. Have your fun now, because I'm not sure you'll like what you're going to hear."

"Warning taken," Fifteen replied.

As Danny Hypnos finished up his song and slid off the stage to general applause, a Goblin of Greed bustled into view. Nobody who knew who he was ever called the Goblin by his species name - he was Vince, the owner of the Forbidden Palace, and he had the gold-trimmed coat to prove it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that was Danny Hypnos!" he announced, pausing just a moment to build up tension. "Now, I was hoping to save the next act for the dinner hour, but the audience is just so great today that I couldn't resist giving them a warm-up. Forget the food, the ambience, or the second-floor gambling - they're the real reason you're here! The Central Shadow Realm's most famous trio..." He paused again. He loved the electricity of an anxious crowd. "Camille, Nell, and Anita - the Harpie Lady Sisters!"

He got off the stage, and then the roof fell in. The people that weren't applauding were covering their ears to avoid going deaf from the volume. Tessia was among the screaming fans; Raelvion and Fifteen were among those covering their ears. Naomi was just staring blankly.

From the ceiling, the three descended. The first to land was Camille, the one with long maroon hair. Next was Nell, of the short orange locks, and finally Anita landed, straightening her blue spikes. All three snapped their fingers, causing microphones to drop into their hands. Without further ado, they burst into song.

The applause died instantly - not due to disappointment, but because no monster ever wanted to drown out a Harpie Lady Sisters song

**0000000**

Hidden away, in a place not known to the Central Shadow Realm public, a figure floated up to a small console. One flick of its fingers over the console caused five lights to turn on. Each beam of the light focused on one spot on the floor... and, interestingly, left the figure in shadow.

Another movement of its hand, and the floorspace that was the light's focus receded. From below rose a metal mold, in the general shape of a man... although any creature with that much muscle would have trouble moving without others pulling his limbs around. At the top of the mold was an opening.

With a third flick of its hand, the figure caused a metal tube to slide into the hole. The tube connected to a bucket, high above the mold, that was filled to the brim with molten metal. Once the metal had been various monsters's weapons - Ansatsu's knives, the Dark Witch's spear, an M-Warrior's sword, and some fifty other weapons. While raw metal would have sufficed, the figure had charted this choice up to artistry.

One more flick of its hand, this time at the bucket, and the figure opened a hatch within the tube. Now the liquid metal poured out of the tube, filling the mold slowly, pumping into each and every crevice of the mold's design. Wherever the metal failed to flow, another twist of the figure's hand encouraged it to fill the empty spot. It took about ten minutes for the bucket to empty and the mold to fill.

Once that was done, the figure turned its concentration to a trap cube it had left in the hollow space in the floor. No wave of the hand was needed this time - the figure let its mind do the work. The trap cube, a Cold Wave, activated, turning the entire empty hollow into a freezing mass of ice. Another mental command, and the mold descended back into the hollow to cool. A flick of the hand, just for habit's sake, sealed off the floor and caused the tools to retreat.

That done, the figure sent its mind above ground, scanning the Central Shadow Realm. _Hmmmmm..._, it pondered. _The riots are quieting down. No good - I need those to last. The longer their attention is drawn away, the more time I have to finish Part D. Time to warm things up again._

Finding a good target, the figure set its mind on it and gave a slight twist.

**00000000**

The rioting was indeed beginning to die down. Between the army's obvious superiority in weapons and the slow ebbing of Don Zaloog's words, the monsters involved in the riot were beginning to see the wisdom of living and letting live.

The riots had started in the Warrior and Beast-Warrior Living Quarters, and it was there that they first began to settle down. A Fire Reaper had found itself caught in the tide of the looting and destruction, and now stood before a Kojikocy and a Blade Knight.

"Lower your weapon," the Kojikocy said, "and we won't have any trouble."

The zombie was quick to comply... and then something caught hold of its arm. Even as it struggled with its errant limb, the Fire Reaper couldn't stop itself from raising the bow again. Taken aback, the two warriors stumbled back, drawing their weapons.

Cursing silently, the Fire Reaper could only watch as its other arm reached back into its quiver, drawing forth an arrow. The more it fought, the more smoothly its arm went through the motion of nocking the arrow and taking aim. Even as it tried to shout an explanation, the power of speech was taken from it...

The arrow flew, and the Kojikocy stumbled and fell, pierced through the heart. Its companion let out a cry of shock, and then its blade flashed, shattering the Fire Reaper's skull.

Elsewhere in the area, a Robotic Knight had taken position on a podium, in front of which a number of the rioters had gathered. "We assure you that the Shadow Council is seeking a peaceful solution," it said in the monotone one expected from a machine. "We seek nothing more than a fair and calm resolution to this unpleasant situation..."

Inside one of the Robotic Knight's eyes, the screen turned red, and the word "ERROR" flashed repeatedly. The machine didn't understand... until its left arm suddenly jerked up. In shock, it sent multiple override commands to the arm, but none of them got through. All the robot could do was watch as it took aim into the suddenly frightened crowd.

Then, with a terrible slowness, an all-too-familiar clicking noise filled the Knight's sensors. Shell by shell, its arm was loading the gatling gun on the end. Soon, the ammo chamber was full. By now, the crowd had started to flee, but it was too late.

Unable to stop itself, the Robotic Knight watched in utter bafflement as its arm opened fire into the crowd. It kept firing, hitting a monster with almost every shot, until the ammo chambers clicked dry.

An enraged Panther Warrior was upon the machine before it could flee. Grabbing the Robotic Knight's left arm, he ripped it out of the socket and swung again and again, smashing the machine to pieces.

A similar incident happened in the Pyro and Thunder Living Quarters, and another near the Low-Level Fiend Living Quarters train station. Before ten minutes had passed, the riots resumed, even more furiously than before.

**0000000**

Within the Forbidden Palace, Fifteen and his party had ordered their meals, and Raelvion was taking his time saying what was on his mind, idly swirling the wine in his glass around without ever touching it. Finally, he sighed and said, "I have so much that you need to know, Fifteen. What do you want to know first?"

The Witty Phantom gave it a great deal of thought, and then said, "Start at the beginning."

"'Before all things came Exodia,'" Raelvion began, and then took a sip of his wine in order to give Fifteen time to stop choking.

Once he'd gotten the whiskey out of his windpipe, Fifteen shot the Dark Magician a glare and said, "Very funny, but judging from how you acted when we came in, this is serious business."

"It is," Raelvion said, "and the story I was about to tell has significance. I know what the Unspoken Warning says, but this time you'll have to trust something based on its looks."

Tessia and Naomi refused to say anything, and so Fifteen was stranded. Finally, he nodded and waited for Raelvion to resume.

Finishing his wine, the representative picked up his story: "'Before all things came Exodia, and he alone stood on the darkness of the Shadow Realm. But a great light pierced the Shadow Realm, and it imbued Exodia with its very substance. The light could not bear darkness, and so Exodia purged from himself all things dark and foul, discarding them into the darkness. From this darkness came a being formed from the Forbidden One's abandoned lesser aspects. Repulsed by this foul doppelganger, Exodia named it Necross, and the two set to battle. For one year, and another, and another, did they battle, and then all other monsters came into being...'" Pausing, Raelvion added, "It doesn't say how they were created."

Naomi broke her silence, commenting, "I know those words..."

"You should," Fifteen interrupted. "He's quoting verbatim from the Chronicles of the Shadoria - Shadoria being an archaic term for the Shadow Realm. It's probably the most famous book ever written, but nobody's sure who wrote it. I had a copy back in my apartment before the entire hall went up in flames."

A smile crossed the Dark Magician's face. "Well-read, I see," he said. "The same text is used in the Counting of the Days of the Gods, although the Church of the Gods prefers to open with a long chapter on how the Gods created everything... but can I continue?"

The other three monsters fell into silence.

Clearing his throat, Raelvion spoke again: "'Some monsters saw Exodia and Necross in battle, and they charged to aid one side or the other. No monster who did so survived, however, and soon they ceased their efforts. Finally, two years after the other monsters came into being, Exodia landed the final blow. Although Necross, being made from Exodia's cast-aside evils, could not die, he was stunned and unable to defend himself. Taking up the body of the defeated Necross, Exodia traveled to the one edge of the Shadow Realm that would never move. There, he constructed a great iron door, and behind it he sealed his dark counterpart. The iron door still stands there, and behind it ever rages Necross...' And there the text goes on to describe everything from the First Dragon Wars to the Time of the Spirits. Any objections to my jumping ahead?"

None were voiced.

"Thank you," he said before he continued. "The last segment of the book reads, 'But one dark foretelling has floated about, in many forms, since the dawn of prophecy. It declares that should Exodia, the Forbidden One and the guardian of all the Shadow Realm, ever be slain, no matter by whose hand it be done, the power that keeps the great iron door shut shall falter and die. And from it shall Necross emerge, hatred and destructive lust all on his mind. He shall tear through the Shadow Realm like reapers through the harvest, and not even the Gods shall be able to stem his wrath. And in that time shall all that exists be rent asunder, and the Shadow Realm reduced to a bitter memory, long forgotten.'" There was a quite dreadful pause as he spoke the last words.

The silence finally broke when Fifteen finished off his whiskey and asked, "Very dramatic, but what's the point?"

Raelvion went on, "Before the Second Dragon Wars, the Serpent Knight Dragons conjured up a Dimension Warrior and sent her after me, pinning the blame on the Buster Blader - it was all I could do to keep the spellcasters and the warriors from having their own civil war. Fifty years ago, just before the Day of Zorc happened, his followers used their powers to control the minds of many of the monsters in the Central Shadow Realm. They then turned everyone against each other and let them go. The Warrior and Beast-Warrior Living Quarters were utterly destroyed in the violence that followed. Forty years after the Day of Zorc, when the Time of the Spirits began, the Asura Priest incited a level revolt, ensuring that the army was too busy to respond when the other Spirits arrived. Now we have open rioting in the streets again." He paused, and sipped his wine. "Do you know what the three old events all have in common?"

Fifteen shook his head, and Naomi and Tessia followed his lead.

"In the Second Dragon Wars, the dragons did everything they could to lure Exodia and the Five God Dragon into one-on-one combat; they knew the Five God was strong enough even to face Exodia. During the Day of Zorc, Zorc's only goal was to kill Exodia; he was caught on the Council Upper Quarters, just outside the Shadow Council chambers. While the other Spirits were laying waste to the Central Shadow Realm during the Time of the Spirits, the Yamata Dragon and Otohime launched an attack on Exodia's palace. The scholars at the Library Arcanium are convinced that it's not a case of three coincidences..." Stopping a moment to catch his breath, Raelvion finished, "Every time someone tries to kill Exodia, they start a riot to cover their tracks."

There was a brief pause, as the other monsters at the table took in the information. Naomi finally said, "It makes sense. If you're trying to assassinate the head of the Central Shadow Realm, you wouldn't want the army to be looking your way."

"That still doesn't explain why Fifteen got dragged into this," Tessia added.

"I was just getting to that," Raelvion resumed. "One would have to assume that whoever's organizing all this chaos is after Exodia, and it's also a safe bet they don't want their real identities hooked to the martial law and the rioting. Thus, they needed a decoy - and that's why our Witty Phantom friend here is the latest Public Enemy #1."

"And whoever did the rest of it had a shapeshifter to mimic me," Fifteen said, the pieces clicking together in his mind. "And since they needed to keep me alive to keep the police force's eyes off them, that explains why it mimicked Don Zaloog and broke me out of Ha Des's office." There was a pause, and then the fiend's expression turned dark as he asked, "But why specifically me?"

Another pause swept the table before Tessia patted Fifteen's shoulder. Raelvion sipped his wine and admitted, "I haven't figured that out yet. But..."

The conversation was fractured when a slightly tinny voice shouted, "Raelvion!"

All four diners looked to the source of the voice... and saw what appeared to be a floating, legless doll. The doll had bright yellow eyes, long purple hair, and was wearing what appeared to be a maid's apron. Both hands were currently where the doll's hips would be, if the doll had any.

Raelvion groaned under his breath, but then turned to the Rogue Doll with a warm, phony smile. "Tilde! How did you get past the front door?"

"The Swordstalker knew who I was. Either way..." She took a swing at the Dark Magician with her staff, but he managed to swerve out of the way. "I can't believe your nerve, sir! First you spend every night for a week sneaking out to the Missing Number..."

Tessia gasped, and then said in awe, "You were the cloaked one? How did you get past the door?"

"A Demotion badge," Raelvion explained before ducking the next swing from Tilde.

The Rogue Doll continued, "And then you run off in the middle of the night to Gods-know-where and leave me to have to worry about you all evening! Where in the name of The Creator did you go off to, sir?"

"You'd rather not know," Raelvion muttered. "Any messages for me?"

Having worked out most of her frustration, Tilde sighed and answered, "Two, sir. The Shadow Council called - they're holding an emergency session tonight, to discuss the current situation in the 'Danger' quarters. Also, Linnalee called..."

Watching as Raelvion's face turned pale, Fifteen leaned over to Tessia and whispered, "Who's that?"

Tessia giggled and whispered back, "The Dark Magician Girl - his apprentice and, rumor has it, his girlfriend as well. Seems the rumors were true."

Leaning on his staff, the Dark Magician groaned. "I was supposed to contact her yesterday. What was the message?"

There was more than a hint of triumph in Tilde's voice as she said, "It started with a very polite greeting, but then descended into yelling and cursing in seventeen separate languages, including Aquan, Gigatongue, Toonjib, and one that I couldn't identify but, judging by tone, was more of the same..."

A hand settled on Raelvion's forehead. "She was cursing in Ancient Draconian again... It's going to take a month to get her over it." Turning to the others at the table, he sighed and said, "It appears we don't have time to wait for dinner. I'll have to take you to my place, and we can continue the discussion after I patch up my relationship with my apprentice."

Tessia and Naomi looked disappointed, but Fifteen dashed off another silent prayer of thanksgiving to the Gods. He was almost certain that the Legendary Flame Lord was staring at him.

The light in Tilde's eyes flashed red before she interrupted, "That reminds me. Who in the Shadow Realm are these people, sir?"

"Well, for starters, the Witty Phantom is D-15A, the Shadow Killer..."

It was, perhaps, a good thing that the group had already decided to leave. Exactly thirty seconds after Tilde's reaction to those words, they were thrown out en masse.

**0000000**

_They are exiting now, Breaker. Make your move._

"Got it."

**0000000**

The group - now consisting of Fifteen, Tessia, Naomi, Raelvion, and a slightly calmer Tilde - headed toward the Library Arcanium again, Fifteen rubbing a sore elbow. When a Steel Ogre Grotto #2 is ordered to throw you out, it takes the instructions literally.

"There's a private train station down the road and to the right," Raelvion explained. "It travels only between this level and the Council Upper Quarters. My home's on the Upper Quarters, and once we get there, we can plan our next move."

Fifteen was about to say something when a blur of movement caught his eye. Turning his head, he saw nothing there. He paused, and then did a double take. There was nothing there - but Naomi had walked next to him only a moment earlier!

Tessia screamed, and Raelvion drew out his staff, spinning and trying to find her. And then another blur of movement caught Fifteen's eye, and turning to follow it, he shouted, "Look!"

The group looked forward, and saw Naomi - caught in a headlock from one arm of Breaker the Magicial Warrior. Breaker's other arm kept his sword steady on the Witch of the Black Forest's neck.

"I'd heard there was a jailbreak in the Maximum Offender Lockup," Raelvion said, trying to aim his staff at a part of Breaker that wasn't blocked by Naomi. "How interesting that it happens to be you."

The criminal hissed, pressing his sword a little more into Naomi's neck. "You even think of casting a spell, her head and shoulders part company."

Raelvion lowered his staff.

"You touch me," Breaker continued, "she dies. You take a step closer, she dies. You try any spells or traps on me, she dies. Or better yet..." His sword slid along her face until it rested just above her third eye, which winced and quivered as the sharp metal neared it. "I understand that if a Witch of the Black Forest loses the central eye, her mind goes poof - or she just suffers horrible pain the rest of her days, the stories differ. Why don't I make her third eye blind and see for myself?"

Naomi screamed, and then fainted, sagging in Breaker's grip. The Magicial Warrior cursed, put his sword back at her neck, and hefted her up into his arm.

"What do you want us to do?" Fifteen asked, glaring at his fellow Level Four.

Snickering, the spellcaster said, "You just have to stand there and wait for further instructions. My part in this job is over now that I've got her." The little finger of his sword hand dropped, and a Creature Swap cube flashed to life. A crow on top of a nearby building now stood where he had, whereas Breaker was dashing off over the rooftops.

All four monsters left in the group just stared at the crow, until it began to swell. After a few moments, it had transformed fully. Its new shape was similar to Raelvion... but with many differences. Its hair was white, and its eyes red. The color of its hat and robes were a deep maroon, as opposed to the purple attire on the Dark Magician. And it had the most devious expression on his face.

"Fine, fine, I'm insulted," Raelvion said finally. "Just tell us what you want."

The shapeshifter in the "evil Dark Magician" form chortled and then said, "My master has ordered that the Witch of the Black Forest be brought to the lair. If you wish to have one last chance to see her before we enact our plan, you will come to the abandoned Equip Factory in the Work Quarters, on the very edge - next to the fence. If you are not there by sundown, you'll miss all the fun."

"Who's your master?" Fifteen asked.

"Not allowed to say," the shapeshift replied, and then it was back in the shape of the crow. Taking flight, it vanished on the horizon.

Fifteen's attention was briefly caught by the voices of a pair of Skilled White Magicians. "Ah, man, a Yata-Garasu!" exclaimed one.

"Tuck your thumb into your fist, or you'll have reason to fear the Reaper," said the other. Both did so before passing by.

A moment passed, and then Raelvion said, "We have our orders, it seems." Turning to Fifteen, he added, "I assume you're coming along."

"It's that or go cower," the Witty Phantom replied.

"I suppose you can't be convinced to go home?" the Dark Magician asked Tessia and Tilde.

Both shook their heads.

"Let's go get a Labyrinth Tank," he finished.

**0000000**

In its hidden location, the figure looked up from what it was reading. On the very edge of its perception, it could feel the four approaching, even as Breaker returned to the lair.

_The lambs come forward_, it thought out loud. _Four stray lambs, all coming to be slaughtered. In that one stroke, I will resolve a loose end and do away with one of my major obstacles. Soon, it shall all come to an end._

One hand gestured to the book, and the page turned, showing an old drawing of Necross behind the iron door.


	12. Shadows Within Steel

In an apartment in the Low-Level Spellcaster Living Complex 2, a young woman in light blue robes and incandescent headdress busied herself locking the door before relaxing. She was a Lady of Faith by species, Liselle by name. The rioting and other unpleasantness hadn't penetrated this part of the Central Shadow Realm yet, but it was better to be safe than sorry with things of that nature.

Satisfied that no one would break in without her at least hearing it, Liselle took off her headdress and set it on the hat stand next to the door, idly brushing a stray lock of dark blue hair out of her eyes. She chanced a small smile, and then looked to where she'd hung a portrait of a Witch of the Black Forest - the one she planned to fuse with. The portrait had tilted, and so she sighed and went to straighten it.

At that moment, a small knot of panic gripped her stomach. She slumped down, gasping, as a very dark sensation rushed through her body. It was a disturbing premonition, and Liselle knew who it was about.

"Oh, Naomi," she finally whispered once the sensation broke, "please be safe..."

**0000000**

A Labyrinth Tank broke from the street in the Work Quarters, its four passengers disembarking as soon as it came to a halt. Without any words of farewell, it promptly dug itself back into the street, vanishing from sight.

The street in front of the abandoned Equip Factory was deserted, as was the rest of the Work Quarters - there were perhaps three monsters crazy enough to work during the rioting, and none of them worked in this area. Raelvion separated himself from the rest of the group (Fifteen, readjusting his hat; Tessia, clinging to her staff; and Tilde, who just watched Raelvion silently) and walked slowly around the street, examining each detail. Finally, he nodded. "I thought this was the place," he said.

"What do you mean?" Fifteen asked him.

"The day after the Blue Nemuriko massacre, there was a tragedy on this street - an M-Warrior from a police task force headed into the Equip Factory and left it in a berserk rage. He slaughtered every other member of the force before his own death by mysterious circumstances." There was a pause, and Raelvion added, "They attributed the slaughter to the Shadow Killer, of course."

Fifteen's expression was utterly unsurprised as he replied, "Well, of course."

The two males were snapped out of their discussion by Tilde, who stated, "That's all well and good, but by my watch it's already ten after one. We don't know if something will keep us out of the Equip Factory, so shouldn't we get there?" She slid her watch back into a pocket of the apron.

Raelvion chuckled and replied, "You cut straight to the point, Tilde. Onward."

The four regrouped and headed down the straight path to the factory, Tessia keeping an eye over her shoulder. The door was already wide open, letting light into the long-neglected building.

They made their way into the center of the factory, standing by one of the pentagram-engraved tables. There they stood, awaiting some sort of response.

After thirty minutes of silent waiting, Tessia finally asked, "Do you think they're busy?"

"Perhaps they're somewhere else in here, and this is just cover," Raelvion replied. "Let's see if there's anywhere else they could be."

The group broke up, and Fifteen drifted along the assembly lines. Not watching where he was going, the Witty Phantom walked directly into a large piece of equipment. Uttering a curse in Draconic (the only word of Draconic he knew), he pulled back his foot and kicked the machine...

...and it wobbled.

Once he had recovered from his surprise, Fifteen shouted, "Over here!" As the others approached, he put his hands on the machine and pushed hard.

Resisting for a moment, the "equipment" finally fell over, revealing it was made of papier-mâché. Underneath it, the concrete floor gave way to metal, gleaming in the afternoon sunlight from the windows. The center of the metal section was a raised circle, a line splitting it down the middle, and a set of numbered buttons was on the line's right.

"I suppose this answers the question about where they took Naomi," Tessia said. "But how do we get through it?"

Kneeling, Raelvion examined the buttons, and then said, "I don't want to risk setting a trap off by getting the passcode wrong. Unfortunately, I don't know who built this, so I can't think of any significant numbers."

"In other words, we're stuck," Tilde said, and then sighed, her usual hovering lowered to the point where her fingers touched the floor.

"Can't we just break through?" Fifteen asked.

Shaking his head, Raelvion answered, "If there is a trap on this door, that's guaranteed to set it off. Besides, I doubt you're strong enough to punch through this thing, and I can see metalsilver around the circle - that would suck in any magical attacks the rest of us tried."

A low whirring noise caught their attention at that point, and all four monsters turned their attention to where it was coming from: directly under the metal floor. Wordlessly, Raelvion passed a magic cube to Fifteen, who activated it and readied the resulting Sword of Deep-Seated.

The circle split, and from an elevator platform emerged two Mechanicalchasers. The robots didn't seem to notice Fifteen's silent, stunned group at first - they moved off the elevator, which lowered back into the platform as the hatchway closed over it, and made their way towards the Equip Factory's door.

And then Tessia, despite her efforts to keep it down, sneezed.

The sound galvanized the Mechanicalchasers. They whirled around, metal poles emerging from their bodies and blades popping into view on the ends. "INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!" both declared, the blades beginning to spin around themselves as they moved in to attack.

Leaping off the metal floor, Raelvion landed behind one of the Mechanicalchasers, spinning his staff around himself. He caught the robot's weapons, and in one smooth motion he flipped it over. Before the machine could get back up, the Dark Magician let loose with his magic, reducing it to ashes.

The other Mechanicalchaser charged at Tessia, who dodged to one side at the last second. Turning to follow her, the machine didn't see Fifteen's sword coming around at it. It split the machine quite cleanly in two, and the top half fell to the ground, its weapons stilled.

Cutting off the poles and blades, Fifteen turned the bisected machine over and asked, "What's the password to get into the hatch?"

The red light in its eye flickering, the Mechanicalchaser managed to say, "7...75...855...13..." With that, the red light died, and the Mechanicalchaser and all its parts shattered.

Raelvion walked up to Fifteen just as the Witty Phantom dusted off his pants leg. "Quick thinking," he complimented. "Don't put away the sword, though - if those two came from wherever they've taken Naomi, I doubt it will be the last fight we get into today."

Nodding, Fifteen kept his sword drawn as he moved up to the hatch. He knelt, studied the numbered buttons for a moment, and then tapped 77585513 into the hatchway. It slowly opened, and the elevator platform returned.

"Onward," Raelvion said, and the group boarded the elevator. It slowly descended, and soon the hatchway slid shut above their heads.

**0000000**

Even on the best of days, Exodia had long ago decided, keeping the Shadow Council running smoothly was like juggling greased swords. Trying to keep things running smoothly during a war was much the same, except the swords were electrified as well.

His attention returned to Escalus, who was making a report: "The Low-Level Zombie Housing Quarters is completely destroyed. Counting both slain members of the Yamiryu Ninjas and the Ha Des Business Syndicate, the death toll nears 10,000. The Level Six Warrior Living Quarters was hit by a massive fire - three-fourths destroyed. The Pyro and Thunder Living Quarters is severely damaged in the Low-Level, Level Four, and Level Five areas, and riots are still continuing in all three. There is still rioting in the Warrior and Beast-Warrior Living Quarters, and it may soon spread to the Beast and Winged Beast Quarters as well." The Frontier Wiseman sat down.

"Thank you, Escalus," Exodia said. "The floor is now open to discussion." The instant those words were out of Exodia's mouth, he regretted saying them.

The first one to slap the "Request Turn" button was Pumpking. "I request funds to rebuild the Low-Level Zombie Housing Quarters," it said.

Sellick slammed his foot down on the "Request Turn" button and shouted, "What, so Ha Des can move back in and make it his base of operations again?"

Not even bothering with his button, the Legendary Fisherman wheeled around on his seat and called over, "I daresay the army can keep them out this time! If they do, we don't have to worry about Skull Servants pushing bootleg magic anymore..."

"Who says it'll stop them?" Sellick called back. "Besides, the army can't even stop the riots!"

Forseti hit his "Request Turn" button so hard that it broke. "Is it the army's fault that monster can't listen to reason?" he shouted down.

"What sort of 'reason' do you call putting guns to their heads?" Ophelia replied, standing on her chair - which almost made up for her lack of height.

"The best kind!" came Forseti's answer.

Calmly pressing his own "Request Turn" button, Kalvelos the Summoned Skull said, "I suggest that we give the army more power. Let us call in the reserves."

At her own lectern, Messiena, the Wingweaver and Fairy Representative, tapped her "Request Turn" button, waited for the light, and said, "What good will sending more troops into the city do? The ones we have are goading the rioters into fiercer acts of violence, as they want to get in what they can before the army kills them..."

Forseti drew his sword, pointed it at Messiena, and yelled, "Why are we letting her talk? All Fairies are pacifists, and this is a council of war! She won't suggest anything that will help stop the madness in this city!"

"Order!" Exodia shouted, but all it did was soften the volume a smidge.

Standing on his own chair, Sellick called out, "Messiena has a point! By now the negotiators should have gone out and tried to talk the riots to an end. I note a distinct lack of negotiation in this matter..."

A ball of fire took out Mr. Volcano's "Request Turn" button, but his light still came on. "Why are you even in this discussion, Sellick?" the Pyro and Thunder Representative taunted. "You're only on this council because your sisters pushed you to the top. Where were you for the first hundred years?"

"You take that back or I swear I'll shove a Follow Wind down your throat!" Sellick yelled, enraged.

"Agreed!" Exodia said, slamming his fist on his lectern. "Withdraw your remark, Mr. Volcano!" For the first time since the Shadow Council's inception, Exodia was ignored.

The Machine King emitted a piercing whistle, causing everyone to clutch their ears and drawing their attention towards it. "We are ignoring a vital issue," it began. "Currently, all refugees from the affected areas are being housed in two buildings in the Level Five Spellcaster Living Quarters. Their conditions are cramped and unsanitary, and we have no back-up plan for moving them in case of the rioting spilling into that zone. We must create a contingency and improve their conditions."

Ignoring what the Machine King actually said, Forseti replied, suspicion overflowing his words, "You know, I don't think I've seen a single machine since the rioting started. According to Gilford of the Lightning, all the machines that were supposed to be in the army dodged out. And the ones in the police force have been acting strangely..."

"Are you making an accusation?" the Machine King replied in its usual monotone.

"You could call it that..." Forseti now pointed his sword at the Machine King. "How long have you metal nightmares planned this attack?"

Breaking from his fight with Sellick (who was in a four-way shouting match with him, Pumpking, and Mr. Volcano), the Legendary Fisherman turned to Forseti and shouted, "How dare you accuse an entire race due to one or two incidents!"

"I never trusted machines to begin with!" Kalvelos interrupted, lightning dancing on his hands. "I say we've put up with them too long!"

Raising his fists, Exodia destroyed his lectern, screaming, "**_ORDER!"_** His jaw dropped as none of the monsters even looked at him, instead continuing their endless arguments.

As a bolt of lightning and a jet of water struck each other overhead, the Forbidden One sank back into his chair, complaining to Suleiman, "When did I lose control of the Central Shadow Realm?"

**0000000**

Not having a watch in his possession, Fifteen couldn't gauge how long it took for the elevator to finish its descent. When it did, there was a low clunk, and the wall slid open in front of them. And then his eyes went wider than he'd ever thought possible.

Before him stood a massive room, completely empty. Every square inch of the room was metal, shining in some spots and tarnished in others. On either side of him were long, ridged strips that led down the room and into a dark hallway. His eyes slid up, finding a set of indented light panels in the ceiling. None of them, however, were on - the only light came from a set of glowing circles on the walls.

Impulsively, Fifteen took a step forward, off the elevator. As soon as his foot touched the floor, the light panels turned on, exposing just how large the room actually was. Behind him, he heard Tessia and Tilde both gasp as the sheer size of the place came into view. In the hallway, more lights turned on, revealing that the passage led on about a hundred yards before it forked, and only one of the forks lit up.

Raelvion stepped off the elevator, followed by Tessia and Tilde. "This answers one of my questions," he said quietly.

"What question would that be?" Fifteen asked.

"If my suspicions are correct, whoever planned this was a machine; this entire room is evidence of that. A fiend would just carve out their lair in rock, a warrior would use wood to make the caverns more comfortable, and a spellcaster would use magic to create whatever they wanted - but never metal." Raelvion paused, tapping his staff against the floor and sending up ringing sounds. "We don't mind some metal, but surrounding ourselves with it is not what we call a dream getaway," he admitted.

Fifteen nodded, and then moved up to one of the ridged strips, running the tip of his sword along it. "What might this be?"

Examining the other strip, Tilde answered, "I think it's a transportation system - or used to be. If this place is any significant size, they'd need a way to get back and forth from the elevator quickly. It's probably been disabled so we have to take the long way in."

The echo of footsteps caused all four monsters to go silent. Flattening themselves against the wall outside either side of the hallway, they waited for the source to arrive.

A Roboyaru, Sparks gun drawn, stepped out into the elevator chamber, looking for the source of the voices he'd heard echoing. The blue android never had a chance - Tilde blasted him in the back with a shot of magic, and he shattered before he could hit the ground. His gun spun around and struck the back wall, and a long black strip of metal bounced once before settling on the floor.

Stepping to the gun, Fifteen picked it up and handed it to Tessia. "You're the weakest out of the four of us," he said - it wasn't an insult, it was simple fact - "so stay back and only use this if it's an emergency."

"Got it," she said. She then pulled out the gun's clip, checked it, and frowned before reinserting it. "One shot wouldn't do much good outside an emergency, anyway."

Raelvion had picked up the strip of metal left behind after the Roboyaru's destruction, and his eyes went wide. "This is an army membership certifier," he said. "It had a Remove Brainwashing effect built into it. How strong is our enemy if they can override this?"

"We'll ask that question in person," Fifteen replied, already heading into the hallway. "Let's go - we can't gauge how long until sundown from here, so we don't have time to waste."

The Dark Magician nodded his agreement, and with Tessia taking up the rear, the four headed down the hallway.

_0000000_

At the heart of the underground complex, a kneeling figure let its mind loose, tracking after the newcomers to its lair. Hearing their conversation, it chuckled and spoke to Pav, the Amphibian Beast it had chained to a post. _They begin to work it out, my pet, _it said, ignoring Pav's answering snarl. _They know what I am, but not who I am. That question they will not be able to answer until they get here._

Behind the figure now stood a giant metal device, looking a great deal like a scale. One towering column was crossed by a steel beam, from the ends of which descended two poles. On the ends of those poles hung two large cups, both of which had a long, drill-like device on their edges. From the center of the beam descended a long rod, with a nozzle at the end.

Breaker was standing on the edge of the left cup, strapping down a struggling Naomi. Even with a gag in her mouth, the Witch of the Black Forest yelled curses at the spell-casting warrior, causing him to roll his eyes and on occasion kick her in the ribs. Turning slightly, the figure on the floor sent a loud thought: _Don't hit her too hard! We don't want to jeopardize damaging her and wrecking her energy!_

"And just what do we need her energy for, anyway?" Breaker answered, tightening the last strap. "You never really answered that when you sent me to get her."

_It is not necessary for you to know,_ came the unhelpful answer. Turning its head, the figure looked to the Copycat, who was just staring through its mirror at Breaker's work. _Copycat,_ it thought, _I have something for you to do._

The shapeshifter moved itself off the wall it was leaning on and stepped forward, its form blurring slightly. "Yes, master?" it said in its usual cracking-mirror voice.

_Go down through the tunnels until you find the Witty Phantom and his allies. Cut him off from them, take his shape, and do away with him. Under no circumstances are you to initiate mutual destruction or to take a stronger form. Do you understand?_

A glimmer of light slid along the Copycat's mirror - in a monster that actually let its face be seen, it would be a spark of hope in their eyes. "I see..." Chuckling, it stepped up to the door, tapped in an eight-digit code, and slid out into the tunnels once the door opened.

There was the sound of metal clanging together as Breaker leapt down from the device. He briefly readjusted his shield and then said, "Is it just me, or did you just send it off to die?"

The figure chuckled, one hand sliding along Pav's head. _If all goes as I have planned,_ it thought, _the Copycat won't need to kill D-15A itself. Fate will see to his death._

**0000000**

After the Roboyaru, there were very few guards in the way of Fifteen's group, and those that happened to get in the way were swiftly reduced to scrap metal. Each time one fell, it left behind an army certifier, deeply dismaying Raelvion.

"You seem troubled," Tessia noted after the quartet had wiped out a Robotic Knight. This one had dropped a lieutenant's certifier.

One hand rested on Raelvion's brow as he sighed. "Why are so many of them army?" he asked without expecting an answer. "After all these years of trying to get accepted, why would they revolt en masse like this? Was Forseti right when he demanded they stay out of the army?"

Fifteen leaned against a wall, checking the blade of his sword before saying, "Knowing you, you probably saw the coming of the machines firsthand. Wasn't it only like two hundred years ago?"

"Yes," Raelvion said, and then smiled slightly. "I was still a student back then, a Skilled Dark Magician. I didn't become the Dark Magician proper for another ten years."

Something in Fifteen's heart caught at the idea of an actual childhood. Most monsters were born as they were; they didn't have the luxury of actually growing up. But by now, the usual flames of envy had long burned out, and so Fifteen just nodded.

Clearing his throat, Raelvion began: "The first machine to appear in the Central Shadow Realm was a Cyber Commander. It was seen wandering through the Warrior and Beast-Warrior Living Quarters, looking confused and helpless. Nobody was sure what type it was, so it was sent to the Shadow Council for evaluation. Back then, of course, the Council only consisted of Exodia, the Dark Sage - my teacher - and the Summoned Skull, Kalvelos. They were extremely dismissive of this inexplicable new type, and sent it to live in the Pyro and Thunder Living Quarters..."

"Where, I expect, it overheated and died," Fifteen interrupted.

"Exactly," Raelvion picked up. "But then another appeared, accompanied by a Metal Fish. They sent the Metal Fish to the Aqua, Fish and Sea Serpent Living Quarters - where it rusted apart - and the Cyber Commander to the Warrior and Beast-Warrior Living Quarters. It was destroyed by a Swamp Battleguard, but this time they managed to save the body and examine it. Everyone in the Council was shocked to realize this wasn't just an unusual offshoot of another type, but another type in itself. When more of them showed up, the Machine Habitation Quarters immediately went into construction." He paused, and then sighed before continuing, "It was blown up by an unknown saboteur a year later. The next one lasted three years before anti-machine riots claimed it. Even now, some monsters don't trust machines - and having so many of them turn against the Central Shadow Realm in general will not help matters."

But by now, Fifteen had stopped listening.

Nobody would blame the Witty Phantom, as he had only just realized he was on a fast-moving conveyor belt. He gave a gasp of shock and tried to escape, only to have twin clamps catch his shoes.

"Fifteen!" Tessia cried, and the other three jumped to save him. They were stopped when a giant metal barricade slammed shut in front of them.

**0000000**

The conveyor built held onto Fifteen's shoes for about three minutes more before it let go and stopped. Stumbling off the belt, Fifteen crouched and massaged life back into his feet, cursing in the one word of Draconic he knew. Here, the lights had turned out at either end of the hallway, leaving a space of about a hundred yards lit up. Otherwise, this stretch of tunnel looked no different from what they'd walked down for the past half-hour or so.

"I apologize for the circumstances," an eerily familiar voice said. Fifteen tried to place it mentally, and then went pale. It was his own voice, as it would sound from outside of his head.

A low clicking noise heralded the voice's arrival, and then Fifteen saw himself step from the shadows. The new Witty Phantom tipped his hat, which looked new and was the only difference between them (Fifteen's hat reflected all the fights he'd gotten into).

"So that's how you managed to get all the murders pinned on me," Fifteen said. "But why was there never any aura evidence?"

"Because I don't project an identifiable aura," the fake Fifteen replied. "I am a Copycat - our auras are so generic they leave no traces."

"Then why mimic me in the first place?" the original asked. "You could have taken any form and had it pinned on me."

Chuckling, the Copycat tugged on one of his gloves. "But I did," it answered. "When I killed Ansatsu and the Dark Witch, I appeared as the lover of the one I was killing. The shock on their faces was exquisite."

"You're sick," Fifteen said, shuddering.

"I never denied it," the Copycat said in return. "Now, if you try to hit me with that Sword of Deep-Seated, I will become an Armor Exe and tear your throat out. If you attempt to use Phantom Strike, I will become the Armor Exe. You will put the sword away and fight me hand-to-hand."

One of Fifteen's thumbs found the proper switch, and the Sword of Deep-Seated became a magic cube again. He pocketed it, and then shed his hat and jacket, kicking them to one side.

The false Fifteen slid off its own hat and jacket, cracking its knuckles and grinning. "This will be so amusing," it said, and then sprang forward and threw a left cross at Fifteen's jaw.

Dodging to one side, the Witty Phantom answered it with a right body blow. The Copycat was stunned just long enough for Fifteen to swing his left hand across and smack it in the face.

The Copycat rolled aside, laughing slightly before rising to its feet. It then charged in, feinted to the right, and swung a left kick into Fifteen's ribs.

Noting the kick, Fifteen answered by elbowing the Copycat's knee and swiftly punching it in the gut. Once again, it was stunned long enough for Fifteen to deliver a punch to the chest. Staggering back, the Copycat feinted right, and this time Fifteen fell for it. He was punished with a hard uppercut, sending him into the metal wall.

Dazed for a moment, Fifteen could do nothing to stop the Copycat grabbing his shirt and slamming him into the wall again. Pulling himself up with his hands, he mule-kicked, driving the Copycat back, and then threw himself forward, catching the shapeshifter with his knee. It shook off the hit, and they went into an exchange of blows, a few getting through but not being noticed.

Suddenly, the Copycat hooked Fifteen's ankle and tripped him. Stumbling, he caught an elbow to the spine and went down. As he tried to raise himself, the Copycat kicked him hard in the chest, rolling him across the floor and into the wall again.

A low, mocking laugh filled the air as the Copycat stalked up to its prone victim - and was caught off-guard when Fifteen hurled himself up, driving his body into the Copycat's midsection. This bought him time to stand, and he threw himself shoulder-first into his opponent, hurling the Copycat back and causing it to collapse. He reached down...

...and both of the Copycat's hands slid around his throat, squeezing hard. Fifteen's hands lunged, and both combatants choked at each other. This was only broken when both monsters kneed each other in the groin.

Not for the first time did the Copycat regret copying a reproductive system.

Once both fighters had staggered away and caught their respective breaths, they stared each other down. Simultaneously, they turned and spat. And then both rushed in and began punching. This time, every blow found their mark, but neither monster could feel it, both emptying their pent-up anger into each other.

Finally, they delivered twin right crosses into each other's faces, and both Witty Phantoms, real and mimic, fell to the ground.

As they rose, the Copycat started to giggle. The giggles melted into chuckles, which turned into full-bodied laughs. It threw down its hands and laughed, its glee echoing off the walls of the tunnel.

And then it stomped one foot down, hitting a concealed floor switch.

**0000000**

Tilde and Raelvion had taken up positions on either side of the barricade as soon as it sprang up, focusing their magic on melting a circle into it and causing a plug to fall out, leaving a hole. This plan was scuttled when a thin sheet of metalsilver appeared in the center. After that occurrence, the three spellcasters had sat behind the barricade, fretting.

And then there was a click, and the barricade sank into the floor. There was a pause of exactly one second, as Tessia cocked the Sparks gun, and then the group took off running, the lights turning on as they moved.

They screeched to a halt, however, when they reached the end of the lighted area. In the center of the hallway, two Witty Phantoms had clinched up, holding onto each other's shoulders and struggling to throw the other down. Both of them had exactly the same aura, that of D-15A.

Even as Tessia stepped forward, gun at the ready, both of the Fifteens saw her and turned, raising their hands and crying, "Don't shoot!"

"Oh, you must be joking me," Raelvion groaned, holding his head in his hands. Tilde's jaw dropped, and she dropped her staff, staring at the scene before her.

Tessia's hands shook, as she moved the gun from one Witty Phantom to another. "I only have one shot," she said to herself, "and without even their hats to go by, I have only one option." She then shouted to the Fifteens, "Say something only you know about me!"

"The first thing I said when we met was, 'Name? You have a name?'!" one Fifteen yelled.

"Back in the old apartment, you used to keep your savings behind a copy of Love Among the Graves!" the other Fifteen yelled over the first.

Tessia turned red, even as Tilde giggled. "I like that kind of book!" she hissed over her shoulder, and then she returned to pointing the gun. "What name did the owner of the Missing Number take?" she asked the Fifteens.

Simultaneously, both yelled, "Cordner!"

Damn... the Magician of Faith thought. And then the perfect question came to mind, and she called out, "What's my number?"

One Fifteen dropped his hands and shouted, "How should I know?"

The other said simply, "MRD-36D."

That settled it. Aiming the gun at the Fifteen who didn't know, Tessia fired the one shot she had at his head.

As soon as she fired, the targeted Witty Phantom gulped and grabbed the one she'd tried to save, holding him by the throat as he struggled. The Sparks shot hit him square in the forehead.

The gun slipped from Tessia's hands, and she sank to her knees, tears spilling unbidden from her eyes. A sob wracked her body... but before she could sink completely into sorrow, something odd happened.

Slowly, the mortally wounded Witty Phantom convulsed in the other one's grip. His purple clothing turned into an odd, motley pattern, and the gloves on his hands developed bulbous, pendulum-like fingers. One hand involuntarily reached up to his chin, and then his head widened, becoming a mirror...

A mirror which cracked where the bullet had hit it, and then shattered in a rain of glass.

Never once letting go of the mirror before its face, the Copycat slipped from Fifteen's grasp and hit the ground, shattering into a thousand shards. Once it was over, Fifteen drew up his leg and swept the shards from his pants.

And then he asked, "Mind telling me when I could have learned your number in the first place, Tessia? You never told it to me."

"Now, hold on! I swear I..." Tessia stopped, and thought back through all of her memories of her time with Fifteen. And then she turned beet-red, and muttered, "Oops."

The Witty Phantom sighed and concluded, "Exactly. Just a moment..." Sliding up to his discarded hat and jacket, Fifteen picked them up and put them back on. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he took out the magic cube and flicked it on, returning the Sword of Deep-Seated to his hands. A glance down told him that what was left of the Copycat's mirror sat next to his foot. With one swing of the sword, he turned it into splinters.

Stepping forward, Raelvion looked over the melting shards of the late Copycat and asked, "So, that was the shapeshifter who killed in your name?"

"Yes," Fifteen said. "Because of him, I've spent the last week and a half running for my life. Pity." He shrugged. "I wanted to do more to him."

But the conversation was interrupted by Tessia, in a most interesting fashion. Rising to her feet, she all but pushed Raelvion aside, grabbed Fifteen's face, and kissed him. To the Witty Phantom's credit, he returned it with some degree of skill.

Perhaps a minute passed before the two separated, and they just looked at each other for a moment more, both blushing deeply (which, given Fifteen's orange skin, had a very interesting color effect on him). Finally, Tilde picked up her staff, tapped it on the ground, and said, "Shall we get going again? If there are any guards left in this place, they must have heard that gunshot."

"Right as always, Tilde," Raelvion said.

And after one more exchange of glances between the fiend and the Magician of Faith, the four headed out again.

**0000000**

Breaker had managed to steal a Fengsheng Mirror before he had grabbed Naomi, and he and his current employer watched as the battle between Fifteen and the Copycat came to a shattering conclusion. Staring at the mirror a moment further, Breaker finally said, "I thought you said fate would see to D-15A's death."

_I miscalculated how much of a fiend he truly was,_ the kneeling figure replied. _Using his enemy for a shield was an unexpected bit of darkness. Perhaps this Witty Phantom isn't as spineless as I had thought... It does not matter. My plan will still come to fruition, even without the Copycat. It had served its purpose by that moment, besides. _Rising to its feet, the figure floated to the control panel again.

"So, what now?" Breaker said, testing his blade's sharpness in the room's light.

Even as its hand swept over the control panel, the machine (for that was its type, as Raelvion had deduced) replied mentally, _We shall throw another stumbling block before them soon enough. Be ready, for you may have to deal with them yourself in due time._

A cocky grin crossed Breaker's face as he licked the back of his sword. "Ah, yes!" he exclaimed. "I've wanted to kill a Council member for years!"

_You may well get your chance._ The floor space opened, and the machine raised its hands, mentally uttering, _Arise, my weapon..._

Slowly, the mold emerged from the floor, clouds of steam rising from its chilled exterior.


	13. Limit Break

Thirty minutes previously, Fifteen had fought hand-to-hand against the Copycat who had specialized in impersonating him, and Tessia had landed the mortal blow on it by accident. Now, however, the group of four (Fifteen, Tessia, Raelvion, and the ever uptight Tilde) faced an even greater challenge, one that no amount of brawn could hope to penetrate.

"Do you think whoever drew the blueprints for this sector had the hiccups?" Fifteen asked.

"Perhaps," Raelvion answered, "they simply had severe undiagnosed mental disorders."

The questions were quite appropriate, as, opposed to the long, straight hallways the group had traveled to this point, this set of hallways twisted like Sinister Serpents caught underfoot. Twenty of them forked out from the main hallway, no two alike in terms of twists and turns. And whereas the lighting had determined which way to go by only illuminating the proper path, here all the pathways were lit, as if their enemy wished to shed light on how lost they were.

After staring down the closest hallway for a moment, Tilde asked, "Splitting up isn't an option, is it?"

"No, it is not," Raelvion noted, "because whoever found the correct path wouldn't know until they found Naomi, and by that point I doubt they could backtrack." He paused. "What time is it?"

One hand fishing out her watch, the Rogue Doll reported, "Fifty-three minutes after three."

All four monsters looked down different hallways, and then Raelvion took a deep breath and let it out in a long, slow sigh. "No choice," he muttered. In one motion, he flipped his staff over in his hand and tossed it to the ceiling, speaking a quick incantation.

The staff began to rotate on its own as it left Raelvion's hand, smashing several light bulbs and forcing Fifteen and Tessia to duck out of the way of the falling glass. A moment later, it stopped spinning and fell, pointing down one of the hallways.

"So what did he just do?" Fifteen asked Tilde, brushing glass off of his hat.

"It's called Find the Path," Tilde answered. "It's a cantrip – a quick spell – to find the proper direction to go. Its success rate is ninety-five percent, and so far it's never failed."

Suddenly, down a side tunnel, a voice could be heard echoing, "Huh? What was that noise?" The sound of metal clanking came down the tunnel, and then a Mighty Guard stepped into view, looking around. There was a pause of about a minute, as the group and the Mighty Guard stared at each other, before a low "pwemp!" came from the machine's head and it yelled, "Who's that?"

The Sword of Deep-Seated flashed, and Fifteen passed the Mighty Guard, coming to a stop as his arm stopped in front of him. By the time he had straightened up and lowered his sword, the Mighty Guard's upper half reached the floor. Both halves exploded into shards, glittering briefly amid the broken glass.

"Well, the spell does have a five percent failure rate…" Tilde grumbled.

Raelvion, meanwhile, had moved up to his staff. Glancing down the Mighty Guard's hallway, he nudged the staff until its head pointed that way. "Divine intervention," he told himself.

The decision was unanimous, and the four moved into the chosen hallway. As they did, the lights in all of the other hallways went out.

No further guards interrupted the progress of the group, and so they made good time down the passage. Raelvion, being the group's strongest member, led the way, Tilde beside him for support. This left Fifteen and Tessia bringing up the rear, and for a fairly long period, they walked together without so much as a word.

The silence broke when Fifteen said, "Back there, after the Copycat died, you kissed me. Might I ask why?"

A furious blush invaded Tessia's cheeks, and she failed in her attempt to shake it off. Finally, she said, "Well… I did almost kill you, and I'd never done it before…"

"So it was an apology, then?"

"No!" Tessia said, her voice quivering with offense. "It… it was…" And then she stopped, blinking once and unable to answer.

Pulling his hat slightly over his eyes, Fifteen inhaled, held the breath a moment, and then let it out in a rush before saying, "If it's what I think it is, I feel the same way."

One of Tessia's hands shot up, covering her mouth, as she tried to look at Fifteen. A shudder ran down her spine, and she looked away, a deep blush sneaking past her hand.

"But now is not a good time to discuss it," Fifteen continued. "Best to discuss it when it isn't so likely we'll die halfway through."

The Magician of Faith let out a relieved sigh, her blush fading, and then smiled to the Witty Phantom and nodded.

And then her foot hit a protruding switch in the floor, one that Tilde had floated over.

There was a loud bang, and a concussive blast floored Fifteen, almost knocking the Sword of Deep-Seated from his hand – he barely caught it on his fingertips. Once his head cleared, Fifteen sat up and looked to Tessia…

…and immediately regretted doing so. For what he saw was Tessia strapped to a massive spiked wheel, ghoulish devices only inches from her body.

**0000000**

In the Central Shadow Realm Police HQ, Dupin stroked his mustache and sipped a snifter of brandy, turning what Aysev and Geefor had told him over in his mind. "So," he said for the fourth time, "you're telling me the Shadow Killer was there, but the Dark Magician announced that the Council had pardoned him?"

"Yes, sir," Geefor said, not a hint of exasperation coming through in his voice, despite having said this four times so far. Beside him, Aysev tapped her foot steadily; the tempo and volume gradually moved up and down the scale.

Dupin finished the brandy and thought silently for a moment. "Damn," he finally said. "After the deaths of Ansatsu and the Dark Witch, why would they go and pardon him? It makes no sense. Could you be certain it was actually the Dark Magician?"

Aysev said, "The aura matched up. Sir… have you considered the possibility that D-15A was framed?"

"Several times," Dupin replied, "but bringing in D-15A would be a necessary first step towards settling any such frame-up. And after the Council members died, the option was erased – you and I both know the public would tear us to pieces if we merely arrested him after that. To be honest, something's nagged at me about the case since the Blue Nemuriko incident."

Geefor waited a moment, and then asked, "What's your decision, sir?"

The monster once known as Freed the Matchless General paused, scratched at his chin, and then said, "We don't have any options. The pardon shall stand. Tell Ninef to summarize the case files and then go about closing it. Until further notice, you're back on open status and patrolling duties. Understand?"

Both Aysev and her partner saluted, declaring, "Understood, sir!"

"Dismissed," Dupin finished, pouring himself another drink.

The two left the office, and as soon as they were outside, the Unfriendly Amazon wiped her brow with the back of her hand. "Thank the gods for that one," she muttered. "If he'd told us to ignore the pardon, I don't want to think about the consequences."

"I have to wonder," Geefor asked as they headed back to their own office, "where D-15A and the rest of that group went after we left the Level Four Fiend Living Quarters." He then noticed how everyone else was moving around frantically and muttered, "What's got the rest of the force so excited?"

"Probably wiser not to ask that question, Geefor," Aysev replied. Passing Ninef in the hall, she rapped on the Masked Sorcerer's mask and said, "Message from Dupin, start summarizing Case #36304921."

"Got it, got it," the legless mage replied. He then stopped halfway down the hall and said, "What?"

"You heard me," Aysev yelled back. Turning around, she barely managed to avoid running into Don Zaloog.

The two just looked at each other for a moment, before Aysev's eyes moved to look past the bandit's shoulder. She found the other four Dark Scorpions standing behind him.

"That explains why everyone's so frantic," Geefor finally said, stating the obvious.

Don Zaloog chortled a bit and held his hands up. "Relax, oh great superdeformed warrior. We're here to turn ourselves in."

"And you expect me to believe that?" Aysev said, drawing her gun.

"Why shouldn't you?" he replied. "After all, isn't it the dream of every cop in the Shadow Realm to nab the Dark Scorpions? Well, dreams come true and we're living proof."

As one, the rest of the Dark Scorpions raised their hands, Chick the Yellow beginning to shiver.

Aysev set her hand to her forehead, shook her head, and then turned to a group of M-Warriors, reholstering her Sparks gun. "You heard him," she said. "Bring them to the holding cells for now; we'll work this all out later."

The group nodded, drew their own guns, and set them into the backs of the Dark Scorpions. "Watch it!" Meanae the Thorn hissed as one gun jabbed a little too far down for her liking.

En masse, the Dark Scorpions marched at gunpoint towards the holding cells. Cliff motioned to his pocket, whereupon an M-Warrior took out a paper tissue. Without lowering his hands, the trap remover managed to indicate what he wanted… and thus the M-Warrior held the tissue in place as he blew his nose.

After a moment, Chick whispered, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Please," Don Zaloog muttered. "If this place is anything like last time they caught me, I could pick the locks with an eyelash. But seeing as our lair is in the Warrior Living Quarters, this is as safe as anywhere else. I don't want to walk into the riots, do you?"

Chick shuddered involuntarily and murmured, "Good point."

**0000000**

It was all Fifteen could do to avoid running up and slamming on the wheel with his Sword of Deep-Seated, in an attempt to free Tessia. He managed to hold off, not wanting to risk the wheel going off and torturing her. Instead, he swore under his breath.

The bang had sounded throughout the hallway, and Raelvion and Tilde were there in short order. Both stopped at the sight of the wheel, and then Raelvion asked, "What happened?"

"I don't know," Fifteen replied. "There was that loud bang, and then she was like this." Tessia moaned, and the Witty Phantom sank to his knees. "Is it what I think it is?"

Sighing, Raelvion nodded. "A Nightmare Wheel," he answered. "If any of us so much as touch it, it will go off… and none of us want that, do we?"

A voice from down the hall called, "Perhaps none of you. I, on the other hand…"

Fifteen, Raelvion, and Tilde turned as one, and saw an odd, spherical device rolling down one side of the hallway. Balanced atop it, sword drawn and shield at the ready, was Breaker the Magical Warrior. Front-flipping off the sphere, he landed fully upright, licking the back of his blade.

"I could hardly be less surprised," Raelvion muttered, drawing his staff and pointing it at Breaker. "It's a pity we won't have time to talk, but getting obliterated will tend to cut conversation short."

Raising both sword and shield, Breaker yelled, "Hold it, man! Before you fire at me, I suggest you look at your feet."

The Dark Magician looked down and then gasped. All around his feet sat primed trap cubes, each of which had emerged from the floor just seconds previously. A similar garden of trap cubes had appeared around Tilde's lower half, and she snatched up a bit of her apron to keep it from brushing one.

"The Dark Magician makes a move," Breaker went on, "you all die. Those little cubes are Widespread Ruins, every last one of them. Each one is on a hair trigger, so anything can set them off. Don't move, don't put your staff down – and definitely don't try to take a shot at me!" Breaker grinned, tossing a remote control out of his shield hand and slashing it in two. "And now you can't retract them," he finished.

First checking to make sure he wouldn't step on a Widespread Ruin, Fifteen strolled forward, sword in hand. "Listen very closely, Breaker. You'll undo the Nightmare Wheel and let Tessia go. You'll shut down those Widespread Ruins. And then you'll get the hell out of our way and let us settle the score with your employer. Refuse and I'll see what your skull looks like without skin or muscle. Got it?"

A moment passed, and then Breaker gulped before regaining his composure. With one hand, he flipped another remote into view and pointed it at the Nightmare Wheel, explaining, "Now, now. If you get too testy, I can turn the Wheel on at any time. Remember that."

Fifteen stopped in his tracks, sword low. "All right, then. What do you want?" he asked.

Turning on one heel, the remote held high for Fifteen to see, Breaker paced off about twenty steps. He then turned back to his opponent and said, "As much as I want to kill the Dark Magician, I'm afraid my current employer wants you dead first. I haven't had a chance to have a good fight in some time, so you get to defend yourself. And so you know, if you try to run or die, I turn on the Nightmare Wheel. So you'd better give this all you can."

Testing the edge of his sword, Fifteen shuddered somewhat, and then relaxed. He reached up, took off his hat, and set it on Tilde's head. Next, he slid out of his jacket and hung it on the edge of the Dark Magician's staff.

The spellcasters could only stare. Finally, Raelvion whispered, "I've become a coat rack…"

Having gotten the preparations over with, Fifteen spun the Sword of Deep-Seated twice and said, "Let's go."

"Indeed!" Breaker answered, and then the Magical Warrior charged, spinning at the last second and sweeping his blade around. Fifteen blocked it, and then stepped to one side, chopping at Breaker's side. The sword merely bounced off his armor.

Backing up to a wall, Fifteen turned his unprotected left side towards Breaker. Unfortunately, the Magical Warrior knew a trap when he saw it, and instead went low, slicing at Fifteen's legs. The fiend barely rolled out of the way, and tried to attack his enemy's legs in revenge. This got him struck down with the edge of Breaker's shield. Only a quick scamper back kept him from being impaled after that.

Although his concentration was mostly focused on not moving, Raelvion managed to say, "There are five schools of warrior swordsmanship – one-handed, two-handed, two-sword, sword-and-shield, and fencing. Breaker's not even a warrior, but he's a recognized master of sword-and-shield, while Fifteen has no training in his two-handed style. Our friend is in deep trouble."

"What do we do if he dies?" Tilde asked, fear evident in her voice.

The answer was not comforting. "Make peace with the Shadow Realm and blow up."

Breaker thrust his shield at Fifteen's face. The Witty Phantom dodged, and then swung his sword down to block Breaker's rising strike. Turning the blade over, the mage-knight slashed at Fifteen's ribs, and when it was blocked he spiraled away, dancing behind his opponent.

Fifteen tried for a blind stab backwards, only to get his sword knocked towards the ground. Losing his balance, he collapsed into a heap. This time, as Breaker jabbed downwards, he almost got Fifteen's arm – the fiend only just pulled it away in time.

"Amateur!" the Magical Warrior taunted, before leaping into the air. With a remarkable amount of agility for someone in plate mail, he kicked off of the wall and came down in a flying kick at Fifteen. The Witty Phantom raised his sword to block, and thereby went sliding across the metal floor before slamming into a wall.

Even as he slid down in pain, Fifteen saw his opening – Breaker's flashy kick had left him open, and at the moment he was correcting his stance. With a shout, he swung his Sword of Deep-Seated at the mage-knight…

…and Breaker caught it on his shield. There was a flash of light, and the Sword of Deep-Seated shattered in a rain of green fragments.

The fiend could merely stare; his hands opened and let the broken sword's hilt dissipate into smoke.

"Surprised?" A laugh escaped Breaker, and he took a moment to recover. "My shield possesses the power to destroy magic and traps merely by touching them. This discharges its stored energy, but my shield will recharge in a few minutes, and then you'll lose your next weapon. And this will just keep going until you die!"

His mouth open, Fifteen backed away, pressing up to the wall as he reached it.

"Now…" Breaker never finished the sentence. Instead, he rushed at Fifteen, sword jabbing at him repeatedly. The Witty Phantom twisted repeatedly, keeping his body just out of reach of the sword's point. With a grin, Breaker began to spin the sword as he thrust, catching Fifteen's shoulders and sending up fine sprays of blood.

Tilde and Raelvion both winced, and Tessia let out another moan from the Nightmare Wheel.

The Magical Warrior laughed, and then grunted as Fifteen rammed his elbow into the stomach of his armor, forcing it into his stomach and knocking the wind out of him. An uppercut followed, snapping Breaker's head back. He rubbed his chin, and then struck Fifteen across the head with the flat of his blade, causing the fiend to fall. A downward swing followed, but Fifteen rolled out of the way, climbing slowly to his feet.

As Breaker pursued Fifteen, sword slashing, Raelvion's eyes narrowed, and he muttered under his breath, "How odd. Before his shield discharged, he was a master of the sword-and-shield style. Now, however, he has the same level of skill as a rank student. What happened?"

"Perhaps," Tilde replied, "the shield granted him skill along with its power?"

"So it would seem," Raelvion said, feeling his legs begin to tense up. "Unfortunately, even at his new level of skill, Breaker is still stronger than Fifteen. We're in trouble."

Indeed, the same thought came to Fifteen at that point, as Breaker was swinging his sword just inches from the Witty Phantom's face. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he just kept dodging, slowly pushed back by his approaching enemy.

And then he felt a chill through the back of his shirt. He'd hit the wall.

Breaker smiled at his opponent. It was a smile normally seen only on large, hungry predators. Once the smile had sunk in, Breaker's sword flashed three times.

Three long cuts opened over Fifteen's torso and arms, and he grunted, trying to slip out of the way. Breaker's sword struck the wall just in front of the fiend, and as he tried to escape on the other side, the sword interrupted the attempt again.

A green light came from Breaker's shield, and he held it up, pointing to the gem in the center; having lost its sheen after it destroyed the Sword of Deep-Seated, it was shining again. "Fully charged," he said, and then he slammed Fifteen in the stomach with his shield. Blood flew from the Witty Phantom's mouth, and he collapsed.

"Pity," Breaker said, with a sigh at the end of it. "Thought you'd last longer." He raised his sword, aiming carefully at Fifteen's neck.

**0000000**

The Shadow Realm consists of several layers, of which the Central Shadow Realm rests upon one. Above all the darkness sits the Higher Plane, a layer of purity and light. And on this plane of existence, five of the higher powers known as the Guardians were watching Fifteen and Breaker's duel.

"Sister Elma, tell me why we are watching this again," a large, humanoid dinosaur growled.

"Because, brother Grarl, I sense a great evil at work here," a fairly willowy woman answered. She slid one hand over the gem beneath her, changing the picture on it to the room where Naomi was held.

"Is it our dark brother Baou?" a thin, shirtless man asked, raising his swords in eagerness.

"Nay, brother Tryce."

The swords lowered, and Tryce asked, "Then why are we wasting our time with this?"

A hulking figure on the other side from Tryce spoke next. "I agree, sister Elma. We can only act if it is the work of Baou or an equal evil. Why should we bother interfering?"

"Because it is an evil almost as foul, brother Ceal," Elma said, changing the picture back to Fifteen and Breaker. "Should the Witty Phantom be slain, then all that ever was and will ever be shall have no meaning; and all that is shall be laid to waste."

"Do you mean…" Ceal could not bring him to finish the sentence.

"Ay, brothers," a mermaid said from her pool of water, around the corner from Tryce and across from Grarl. "Should he die, then Necross will break free from his iron confines."

"Then let us act!" Grarl growled, rising to his feet.

Elma reached out and stopped him, shaking her head. "Nay, brother Grarl," she said. "We cannot interfere personally. Even though the evil is great, it is still not Baou, and we may not physically intervene if that is the case."

"Sister Kay'est, she must be wrong," Tryce pleaded, turning to the mermaid.

Kay'est sighed, resting her head on her arms. "I am afraid she speaks truth," she answered. "Baou has not left Pandemonium in some time – this evil is not his doing. We must stay out of it."

"But," Elma added, "we may send one of the Guardian's Weapons to aid the Witty Phantom. They are not us, and thus they are free."

At that, Ceal stood up, declaring, "Send him my bow! It shall shatter the Magical Warrior's armor and pierce his heart!"

"Nay, brother Ceal!" Elma answered. "The Witty Phantom has not the strength to pull back the string of your bow. The arrow would simply bounce off the armor."

"My swords are out, then," Tryce said, looking at them. "They would make him faster, but his blows would lose power, and all the speed in the world wouldn't save him."

"As is my rod," Kay'est said, picking up the thread. "It is worthless on the attack."

Grarl closed his eyes, and then asked, "My axe, perhaps? It would provide its own strength."

Elma shook her head and replied, "Nay, brother Grarl. Breaker's shield would banish it immediately. Only one weapon can save him, if he has the wisdom to use it wisely…"

The Guardians nodded, and as one, they called it forth…

**0000000**

With a flourish, Breaker spun his sword in his hand, and then brought it down hard…

…and with a flash of light, Fifteen was holding it off with a small, green dagger. He just stared at it, wondering when he had picked up something like that.

Tessia was still in a fog, the Nightmare Wheel playing an endless horror show in her head, but something about the dagger's appearance caused her to escape for a second. She saw the dagger, and then smiled.

"What the hell is that?" Breaker shouted, glaring at the dagger.

"I don't know!" Fifteen shouted back, scrambling to his feet. The dagger pulsed in his hands, and he gave it a closer look. _Is this what I think it is? And if so… can I actually win this fight?_

Breaker's eyebrow twitched, and then he laughed. "Waste of time," he said. "If the Guardians are really on your side, they would have given you a better weapon. Pathetic, really." He rolled forward and sprang at Fifteen…

…and the Witty Phantom slid under the blade, ramming his dagger into the shield. There was a flash of light, and when it cleared, the shield's gem was lusterless again, and both monsters were still standing.

And the dagger was still in Fifteen's hand.

Breaker's jaw dropped. "How did my shield fail?" he asked.

Shaking his head, Fifteen explained, "Don't you know the legend of the Dagger of Butterflies? It can only be banished back to the Higher Plane when its user is done with it. And it's indestructible, as well. It's the perfect weapon against you and your shield."

When the explanation was done, Fifteen threw himself at Breaker, the dagger swinging up. It slid through the straps of Breaker's armor, gashing his forearm. The Magical Warrior gasped at the first wound in ages, and then fell back, raising his sword. Ducking low, Fifteen struck up, sliding between the plates and slicing into Breaker's stomach.

Desperate now, Breaker darted around Fifteen, waiting for his shield to recharge. Cursing his luck, he deliberately placed himself against the wall, sword and shield at the ready. The idea was a sound one: Fifteen would now have to come at him from a position he could defend, and couldn't get him at a tough angle.

The weakness of this idea was made clear when Fifteen dropped low and stabbed him through the hinge of one ankle. Instinctively, Breaker dropped low to defend himself, whereupon Fifteen kicked him in the face. Even with his armor, the Magical Warrior was stunned on impact with the wall.

As Breaker recovered, his shield flashed, and the gem resumed shining. "Hah!" he yelled, throwing himself at Fifteen.

Fifteen half-turned and swung his dagger, cutting through the shield's straps. It flew across the hall, hitting the opposing wall and ringing out like a bell when it reached the floor.

Before Breaker could even gape, the Witty Phantom grabbed his helmet, yanked it off, and slammed his enemy against the wall, dagger at his throat. "Any last words?" he asked.

Even with his life at stake, Breaker couldn't resist a smile. "You're still doomed, you know. My boss will rip you apart before you even get close to breaking your friend out of here."

Another slam against the wall caused Breaker's smile to fade, as Fifteen pressed the knife harder against the mage-knight's throat. "Try again."

"Okay…" Breaker said, now genuinely scared. "When you get to the last door, the code to get in is 33396948. But if you don't enter a 124 before that, it'll set off the trap, and that door's rigged with a max-power Cemetery Bomb. Set that off and it'll blow you into little pieces of little pieces!"

"Thanks for the info. Now rest in peace," Fifteen said. He then jabbed the dagger in, slitting Breaker's throat with one swipe.

Eyes wide in shock, Breaker stared at his opponent, mouthing the words, "You actually did it". He then collapsed, shattering into a thousand shards and taking his sword with him.

The battle finished, Fifteen opened his hand, letting the Dagger of Butterflies fall from it. It turned into a cloud of butterflies, which flew in all directions and vanished. One, however, landed on Fifteen's finger.

Slowly, he raised the butterfly to his eye level. "Thanks," he told it.

It touched his nose with its antennae, and then flew off.

Moving up to where Breaker's shield had landed, Fifteen picked it up and marveled at how the battle hadn't scratched it. Next, he walked to the field of Widespread Ruins and laid the shield on it, gem down. Its magic shot through the connected cubes, shattering the group.

Now freed, Raelvion collapsed in a heap on the floor, his legs all but rubber. He handed Fifteen his jacket, and the Witty Phantom put it on, also retrieving his hat from Tilde.

The three waited a moment for Breaker's shield to recharge. Once that was done, Fifteen took the shield and slammed it, hard, into the Nightmare Wheel.

The torture device melted like wet sugar, and Tessia slid from the dissolving bonds, falling towards the floor. She never reached it – Fifteen was there, and he caught her in his arms, although his knees buckled from the impact.

A moment passed, and then her eyes opened again, looking up into his. "You saved me," was all she said.

"That I did," he answered. "Can you walk?" She nodded, and he set her down.

Pulling himself upright, Raelvion muttered, "Sure, nobody cares about if I can walk…" Regaining his composure, he reached into a pocket and withdrew a magic cube. "Need a sword?" he asked Fifteen.

The Witty Phantom nodded, and then caught the magic cube tossed his way. Flicking it on, he spun the Sword of Deep-Seated around in his hand, readjusting his style.

The Dark Magician, meanwhile, pulled a handful of magic cubes from his pocket. Counting them, he shook his head. "I only have three cubes left," he announced. "Be very careful with that sword, because I can't replace it now."

Picking up Breaker's shield, Tilde set it on her back. "This should come in handy," she noted.

Once everyone was set, the group headed down the hallway. Unlike before, however, they could see the door ahead of them – the end was a fair distance off, but it was in sight.

**0000000 **

Within the complex's heart, the floating machine had set its mind on the group, monitoring the fight closely. Its eyes darkened as Breaker died, and a hiss of steam escaped it. _The Guardians… what a pitiful group. Their interference was to be expected. It seems all of the forces of the light do not know when to mind their own business._ Shrugging, it moved up to a control panel, flipping a pair of switches. _Not that it matters, anyway. When my plan is completed, they will be dealt with swiftly, as will everything else. For now, however…_

The machine's mind locked onto one of the group approaching its chamber – the Rogue Doll, Tilde.

_Three sacrifices will work as well as two for my purpose,_ it thought to itself. _And she is a wild card in their ranks – getting her out of the way will reduce the randomness, and that will work greatly to my benefit._

A commotion caught the machine's attention, and it looked to the giant device in the back of the room. It seemed that Naomi, the Witch of the Black Forest locked in the device, had slipped down her gag. Ignoring the distractions, the machine worked out what she was saying: "Let me out of here! Please! Don't do this!"

_Silence!_ the machine thought, sending a mental shockwave at her. It hit Naomi, knocking her unconscious. The shockwave also disturbed the machine's Amphibian Beast pet, causing it to growl. _Calm down, Pav, _the machine thought with a placating tone. _It's your turn next._

Having dealt with the interruptions, the machine returned to its work. As it manipulated the control panels, the nozzle at the end of the device lowered, hooking to the mold with a solid click…


	14. Psycho Shocker

Although the end of the hallway was now only a short distance from where the four monsters sat, Fifteen had suggested a break – between his battle with Breaker, Raelvion and Tilde's inability to move, and Tessia's session on the Nightmare Wheel, all four of them needed some time to catch their breath. The others had agreed, and now they sat on the floor, Tessia leaning on Fifteen.

"Does our enemy have any henchmen left?" Tilde asked. Having no legs, she was none the worse for wear from having to stand perfectly still – unlike Raelvion, who was currently trying to massage life back into his calves.

Lifting his hand, Fifteen counted on his fingers: "There was Copycat, who we killed a while ago; Breaker, whom I just killed; all of his guards in the hallway – they're dead… Gaia didn't work for him, and I can't think of anyone else." He looked at his fingers and shrugged. "I doubt there'll be anything else in the way."

"Here's to hoping," Raelvion answered. He stood up, twitched, and collapsed, his legs quivering. A few quiet curses in Gigatongue followed.

Even as Tessia slid under one of Fifteen's arms, she asked, "What time is it?"

Tilde fished out her watch and checked it, answering, "Thirty-one minutes after four."

Taking out his staff, the Dark Magician jammed it into the flooring, pulled himself up, and readjusted his hat, declaring, "In twenty minutes, we go through that door. Objections?"

None were voiced. None needed to be; even as they agreed, the other monsters let their expressions make their silent objections.

None of them were confident about their chances of survival.

**0000000 **

On the other side of the door, the machine stared at the mold containing its finest creation. Its eyes glowed, and it let out a mental chuckle, setting one hand to its nonexistent chin. _Such a fine work… And to think, this will be the beginning of the end._

Now, however, the time for contemplation had passed. Moving back to the center of the room, the machine let its mind loose, moving its focus out of the chamber and into the hallway, sliding it around the four intruders and scanning their surface thoughts.

_Tessia… I'm sorry I ever got you involved in this. If we survive, I'll never let you get in danger again._

_Oh, Fifteen… I may have gotten in a lot of trouble by being with you, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. You're the only one I'll ever want._

_You're finished once we get in there, whatever you are. The Shadow Realm has survived for too long against too much for me to let you bring it down… OW! Damn it, leg cramp!_

_(…)(…)(…)_

The machine stopped, pulling back its mind. For some reason, it had proven unable to read the Rogue Doll's surface thoughts. This was a first – it had never failed that before. _A puzzlement_, it thought to itself. _Taking hold of her will be a more difficult task than anticipated. But… then again, that's half the fun._

Letting its mind loose again, the machine hurled it at the Rogue Doll, smashing through her outer mental defenses…

**0000000**

Even as the group began to move, Tilde came to a dead halt. The lights in her eyes turned off, and she stood absolutely still, not even her arms moving.

The others stopped and turned to her, looking her over. Finally, Tessia asked, "What's wrong with her?"

Raelvion shook her head. "It seems we've run into another of our opponent's traps," he answered.

"But I can't see any trap cubes," Fifteen said, ducking low and looking over the hovering spellcaster.

"Not all traps are cubes."

**0000000**

The machine's mind forced itself through the last of Tilde's interior mental barriers, and now looked around within her mind. To its surprise, the mind was an absolute blank, except for a single table.

A simple thought moved the machine's mind to the table, where it found an unusual item. On the table sat a puzzle box, about six inches square on each side. It looked like it was made of wood, and the pieces of the box seemed like they would slide easily.

Picking up the box, the machine's mind snorted. _Such an elaborate mental defense,_ it thought. _If I'm correct – and in mental matters I always am – the real center of her mind is sealed inside this puzzle box. I have to solve it before I can take control of her, and if I fail, the box will lock – and then no amount of force will get her to serve me._ It laughed. _Elaborate, but it will prove to no avail._

Concentrating, the machine began to undo the puzzle box, moving pieces slowly and carefully into position. The early steps were obvious, since this was a puzzle, not a con game. The only sound in the mind was that of clicking wood as piece after piece moved into place.

Suddenly, the movement of one piece left a sizable gap, and the machine found itself seeing into the past.

**0000000**

Raelvion had just left the Northern Gravekeeper's Shrine that day, some ten years ago. He always went to the shrine when someone close to him had died; spending time among the Gravekeepers helped to ease the pain in his heart. Over the years, he had visited the shrine some fifty times, and he had long since befriended the Gravekeeper's Chief for that shrine.

Even as he walked, it began to rain. It always rained when he left the shrine, as if the Shadow Realm could sense his sadness and decided to mock him for it. Adjusting his hat, he put his arms over his head and started to run for a Labyrinth Tank post.

Needless to say, the post was out of order.

Raelvion wondered, as he had so often before, whether someone in the Higher Planes had too much time on their hands.

Now resigned to having to catch a train, the Dark Magician set off down the road. It was a few steps later before he realized that he wasn't getting wet anyone. A glance up revealed there was an umbrella over his head.

A glance down revealed there was a Rogue Doll carrying the umbrella.

"Thanks. You are?" he asked her.

Bowing - which caused the umbrella to flick water on the back of an unfortunate Wandering Mummy - the Rogue Doll answered, "I am Rogue Doll M-RD17, sent by the Central Shadow Realm Council to serve you. It is a pleasure to meet you, Spellcaster Representative Raelvion."

Raelvion let out a low whistle, noting, "Your predecessor only died a week ago. This is the fastest the council's ever sent a replacement."

A smile crossed the doll's face as she raised the umbrella over them again. "I'm honored I could be so convenient," she replied. "I hope I serve you well."

As they reached the train station, Raelvion looked up to the clearing skies and muttered, "I think you might, M-RD17. I think you just might."

**0000000**

As the flashback ended, the machine resumed his manipulation of the cube, unaffected by what it had just seen. Its attention was fully on making the proper moves and not setting off the lock.

However, it had just enough of its mind on the outside world to note the activities of the Rogue Doll's companions. And it didn't want any interruptions as it worked.

A mental command slid the door open, drawing the attention of the Amphibian Beast within the chamber. Another mental command was brief and swift: _Pav, sic._

**0000000**

"So what's happening to her?" Tessia asked. The three monsters stood in a circle around Tilde, all three trying not to look into her blank eyes.

Raelvion shook his head. "It's a mental assault," he answered. "Whoever's in her head is trying to take over her mind and give her commands. My best guess is that this is what kept the riots going. Unfortunately, Tilde will not be an easy target."

"Why not?" Fifteen asked now, bouncing his sword off the palm of his glove. It was fairly frustrating to encounter a problem he couldn't stab to death.

"Because Tilde hears a lot of my secrets, I installed a puzzle box defense in her mind. Anyone who tries to take over her mind has to get through that, and if they screw up they can never get into her mind again. It also makes reading her mind impossible if they don't undo the box." Raelvion then stopped, turning towards the door. "What was that noise?"

Tessia and Fifteen turned to the door as well, and then Fifteen raised an eyebrow. "Do you hear something growling?"

Immediately after that, the Amphibian Beast pounced on Fifteen. He fell backward, thrusting his sword up and flipping the creature over him. It skidded, snarling, and left scrapes in the metal as it drew its claws back. Nervous sweat slid down Fifteen's forehead.

Tessia grabbed Tilde and moved back, clinging to Breaker's shield, as Raelvion stepped forward, glaring at the Amphibian Beast. "Stand back, Fifteen," the Dark Magician announced. "I'll handle him."

Even as he said this, key pieces of metal retracted from the ceiling and floor. A large metal wall slammed shut in front of the door, and as several vents opened, another wall slammed into place down the hall, trapping them. Two large designs were now evident in the floor and ceiling, and they and the trapping walls were made of a very familiar shiny metal.

"Ah, damn," Fifteen muttered. He turned off the Sword of Deep-Seated and tucked it into his pocket, taking several steps away from Raelvion and keeping Tessia behind him.

Raelvion blinked, and then sighed deeply. "Metalsilver," he said. "The walls and those designs are metalsilver. My magic's useless. Our enemy knows more about us than we thought..." He then slid off his hat and robe, tossing them to Fifteen; now he was clad in a sleeveless purple shirt and purple pants, similar to an Apprentice Magician's outfit. "…but not enough."

Stumbling back as he caught the clothes, Fifteen asked, "What are you doing?"

Tessia, to his surprise, answered that question. "Apprentice Magicians are taught bojutsu, the art of staff fighting, in addition to magic," she said. "This sort of situation is exactly why they're taught it – magic can't always save you."

Spinning his staff around his body, Raelvion smirked and signaled for the Amphibian Beast to attack. It pounced, whereupon he caught it on his staff and slammed it to the ground. Half-turning, he waited for a moment, and when it lunged at him, he spun the staff, smashing it against the floor.

Not expecting attacks like that, the Amphibian Beast growled, swiping at the magician's leg. The point of the staff slammed down, pinning the claw to the floor. Then, flipping over the bizarre-looking fish beast, Raelvion brought the staff down hard, again knocking it to the ground.

Enraged, the Amphibian Beast roared, blood beginning to drip from its maw. Charging forward, it snapped at Raelvion's leg, only to get a snap-kick to the jaw. Sliding back, the Dark Magician launched an overhead strike; when that hit, he spun sideways and struck again, and then a third time. By now, the fish beast was staggering, severely injured.

"This isn't a fight, it's a rout," Fifteen said, eyes wide in awe. "We have nothing to worry about. Tessia, how's Tilde doing?"

A sigh escaped the Magician of Faith's lips as she turned Tilde to herself, eyes scanning over the Rogue Doll's empty ones. "No change," she replied.

**0000000**

Within Tilde's mind, the machine's mind was still at work on the puzzle box, having sat down on the table. By now, half the pieces were in place, and it had found a pattern to their placement. By its estimate, it would finish the job in less than ten minutes at the current rate.

As it had solved the puzzle, the machine found itself repeatedly reliving parts of the Rogue Doll's life. This was immensely frustrating to a machine that didn't care about such things, but it seemed an unavoidable consequence of solving the puzzle box. As it neared the center of her mind, more and more memories would launch themselves, as a cross between a last-ditch mental defense and the flashing of a dying person's life before their eyes.

Even as it thought that, the machine clicked another piece into place, and was struck with another piece of the Rogue Doll's past.

**0000000**

"M-RD17, where did you put my robe?" Raelvion was flipping through an arcane tome, lying on his bed in the Apprentice Magician outfit he usually wore under his robe. At the moment, however, he didn't have a robe to cover the outfit with, as the dry cleaners (run by the Shadow Realm's least ambitious Jerry Beans Man) had done their magic to it and had only given it back that day.

Floating in from the kitchen, the Rogue Doll smiled, pointing to the closet. "The last time I left it on your bed, sir, you complained about having to move it, so it's in your closet this time. Isn't that proper?"

Raelvion took a deep breath, slid off the bed, and opened the closet before sighing. "Now I have to rummage through my clothes to get it!" he grumbled. "Can't you just hang it over the bedpost or something?"

For the past three years, the Rogue Doll had put on an enthusiastic front. This, however, forced her to drop it like a burning stick. Her expression cracked, and she said in a strained tone of voice, "If I put it over the bedpost, you'll complain that it's getting wrinkled. Should I just hang it on your staff?"

In the midst of retrieving his robe, Raelvion froze. Just as the Rogue Doll though she had overstepped her bounds, the Dark Magician began to wave, leaning on his closet doorframe for support.

"Sir?" the Rouge Doll asked.

After catching his breath, Raelvion looked to her and said, "You know, you've served me very well over the last three years. Allow me to give you a name."

It is technically impossible for a Rogue Doll's eyes to widen, but hers did. "A name? That's a high honor, sir…"

"One you've earned," the Dark Magician replied. Putting a hand to his chin, he thought for a moment, and then snapped his fingers. "I'll call you Tilde. Do you like that name?"

Giving it a moment's thought herself, the newly-named Tilde nodded. "It's a fine name for me, sir."

**0000000**

Mentally cursing, the machine forced the next piece into place, shaking off the memory. _The faster I get done with this and get past those damn memories, the better,_ the machine's mind told itself.

**0000000**

As the machine had drawn its attention away from the outside world, the riots in the Warrior Living Quarters were slowly dying down, the police managing to regain some tiny control over the section (although after the last attempt led to things just getting worse, they were walking on eggshells). Fires had reduced much of the Warrior Living Quarters to ashes, and so most of the monsters were currently in refugee housing in the Spellcaster Living Quarters.

One warrior of significant standing, however, had no intention of going anywhere near the refugee housing. Needless to say, that warrior was Yamato the Noble Samurai. Having cleaned up his silks and armor, he had taken one look at the single building used to house all the refugees and spun on his heel, storming away and dragging his student (the Command Knight) with him.

Now, as a Labyrinth Tank broke the surface of the Work Quarters, he sprang off the back, launching into a forward roll and landing on his feet. The Command Knight, meanwhile, shook her head, still securely belted into the back of the Labyrinth Tank.

"Damn it, man, watch yourself! Our insurance doesn't cover fancy stunts!" the driver of the tank yelled at Yamato. "Either way, Work Quarters!"

Undoing her seat belt, the Command Knight jumped off, whereupon the Labyrinth Tank aimed itself downward and smashed through the ground, driving away.

Brushing off, the Command Knight looked around – she had cleaned up as well since the destruction of the dojo. Finally, she said, "Remind me why we're here."

"Because I want nothing to do with the refugee center," Yamato answered, "and this is the safest place to be right now. Nobody in their right mind is going to work while the Central Shadow Realm is the way it is at the moment, so there shouldn't be anyone here." He flicked a speck of dust off of his armor, and then continued, "Now if you would come with me, we need to find a phone."

Moving alongside the samurai, the Command Knight asked, "A phone?"

Even as he spoke, Yamato was already heading towards the nearest factory. "My apprentice, Sashia the Samurai Squire, sent me a note saying she was going to hide out with an old friend of mine, the Master Monk Eisai, in the Rock Habitation Quarters. I need to call him and make sure she's there."

The Command Knight sped up, keeping pace with her teacher as she asked, "I've always wanted to know, why does a samurai have a squire? I mean, that's in the tradition of knights, not samurais…"

Grimacing, Yamato answered, "Blame my old master. He felt he was getting too old to teach her and so he shoved her off on me. She calls herself a squire – no matter how many times I tell not to use that name, it never sinks in."

The following hour was an exercise in futility unseen before in the annals of the Central Shadow Realm, as Yamato and the Command Knight wandered from factory to building to factory in search of a working phone… and didn't find a single one. All the phones they did find were broken, disconnected, or only for internal use.

Finally, Yamato the Noble Samurai stood outside of an old, abandoned Equip factory, staring at the door. The Command Knight caught up to him, pointing out the obvious: "Something tells me this place won't have a working phone either…"

"If it doesn't, we're out of options," he replied, striding into the factory. The two warriors split up, searching the building.

Yamato forgot the search entirely when he found a large metal door set into the floor. Kneeling, he traced the metalsilver with his fingers, muttering, "The hell?"

From an upper catwalk, the Command Knight yelled down, "I found a working phone! Not sure why, but there's one here!"

"All right, I'll be up in a minute!" Yamato yelled back, adding to himself, "And I have a hell of a story for the cops…"

**0000000**

Raelvion spun the staff over his head and connected with the Amphibian Beast's jaw, hurling it across the floor. The fish beast hit the wall with a low thudding noise, sliding to the floor and twitching, its blood a long line on the metalsilver.

Tessia was hiding behind Fifteen, her face pressed into his back – she couldn't take the sight of Raelvion pummeling the Amphibian Beast. Fifteen, meanwhile, was looking through half-parted fingers. Even fiends only had so much they could stand.

By now, the Amphibian Beast was a sorry mess, a shell of itself. Raising its head, it let out a weak roar and charged forward… and Raelvion kicked it hard in the face. The beast fell on its side, splitting blood.

"I hate doing this to a monster that can't help it," the Dark Magician said, sighing, "but I have no choice. I get the feeling we can't move on until you're dead." Striding across the floor, he kicked the Amphibian Beast onto its back.

Fifteen pulled his hat over his eyes and turned away, hugging Tessia to him. On a spur of the moment, he turned Tilde away from the scene as well.

The fish beast was breathing hard, unable to raise a claw. The Dark Magician sighed, and then raised his staff, point aiming down at the creature's heart.

**0000000**

Within Tilde's mind, the puzzle was almost finished. Only a few more pieces remained before the Rogue Doll was open to the machine's control. The machine's mind was doing all it could not to gloat.

Another piece clicked into place, and now it could actually see the center mind. Only four pieces remained.

It clicked another piece into place, and then made a critical error – it looked into the mind.

This time what struck the machine's mind was not a memory. It was an emotion, one that Tilde had stored up over the years she had served Raelvion. It was an emotion that was reinforced every time he accidentally slighted her, every time he did one of those things that irritated her (he must have left his hat on the kitchen table some five hundred times), every time he made life a little more difficult. But it was also reinforced every time he praised her, every time he gave her a gift, every time he just smiled.

The emotion wasn't love – love would have bounced off of the machine's mind like a rubber dart. It was, instead, a sort of strong affection – a loyalty that had strengthened and built itself up over the years until it had turned practically into steel.

And it rammed into the machine's mind with the same power as an Inferno Tempest.

Distracted beyond reason, the machine made another critical error, its thumb sliding down and moving the wrong piece in the wrong direction…

The puzzle snapped back into its original form, the force causing it to fly from the machine's mind's grip and hit the floor. The machine's mind bent down and picked it up.

Every side of the puzzle box was now covered in metal. It could no longer be solved.

_Drat,_ the machine thought to itself. Discarding the puzzle box, it withdrew its mind.

In the main chamber, the machine shook the cobwebs from its head and exhaled steam, having spent a fair amount of time in the Rogue Doll's mind. Once its bearings were restored, the machine sent its mind out again, getting a look at the fight between Pav and the Dark Magician…

_That is far more damage than I anticipated to my unfortunate pet,_ the machine thought, setting its hand to its chin again. _Time to pull it out._

Raising its hands before it, the machine made several precise gestures.

**0000000**

Before the point of the staff could come down, the walls retracted and the metalsilver designs were covered once again. Raelvion looked around himself, confused greatly. Suddenly, the Amphibian Beast slid away at a fast clip, causing the Dark Magician to yell, "What's going on?"

The door slid open, and the Amphibian Beast moved right through it before it shut again.

Staring, Raelvion lowered his head and muttered several curse words in Gigatongue again before heading to Fifteen. The fiend, knowing what his ally wanted, handed over the robe and hat.

As he tugged on the robe, Raelvion couldn't resist asking, "Tilde, is it straight in the back?" He then bit his lip.

But then he heard the reply: "I'm afraid that wrinkle just above your hips hasn't given up yet, sir."

Tessia squealed, and Fifteen managed a relieved smile, as Tilde stretched her arms and put both hands to work massaging her temples. "I don't want that to happen again," she said. "This migraine will not go away for the next year."

Before she could say anything further, the Dark Magician knelt and hugged her tightly, not saying a word. Words weren't needed at that point.

Fifteen seconds later (Fifteen timed it off in his head), Raelvion let go and stood up, actually blushing a bit. Tilde saw that and smiled, mocking him a bit with, "I never knew you felt that way, sir. This may cause a scandal."

"The newspapers are going to go after me anyway…" The Dark Magician pointed to the door and asked, "Onward?"

Agreement was unanimous. Relief is fairly infectious.

**0000000 **

Pouring himself another snifter of brandy, Dupin – once Freed the Matchless General, now Chief of the CSRPF – looked up to the picture over his door. It showed him in his army days, just before the final charge on the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, along with Exodia the Forbidden One, the first St. Joan, the Airknight Parshath, the first Dark Magician (Wagnard), and Gaia the Fierce Knight. They were posed around the skull of a Tyrant Dragon, and Wagnard and St. Joan were looking at each other meaningfully.

_We all had dreams back then,_ Dupin thought. _But look at us now… St. Joan became Guardian Angel Joan and ascended to the Higher Plane. Airknight Parshath left to guard the iron door after the First Dragon War ended. I haven't heard from either of them in centuries. Gaia went insane after the Second Dragon War ended – and now he's dead. Exodia hasn't answered any of my letters in months; sometimes I question his stability…_

Dupin looked at the photo again, his eyes focusing on Wagnard.

_Sometimes I think Wagnard had the right idea,_ he thought again. _He died on that charge. He didn't have to put up with any of this garbage. He didn't have to worry about Joan not loving him anymore, or about Gaia coming after him. He just went to the Graveyard._

Suddenly realizing his train of thought, Dupin shook his head and looked at his drink. _I shouldn't drink this stuff,_ he thought. _It makes me too pessimistic._

His phone rang. The chief answered it, saying, "I'm here."

"Sir, I've got a call from the Work Quarters on line three," the Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands on reception answered. "It's Yamato the Noble Samurai, and he says he's found something suspicious in an old Equip factory."

"Patch him through," Dupin answered.

The following conversation took three minutes. During the first minute, Dupin was wary; during the second, he was confused; during the third, he was outright intrigued.

After hanging up, he looked at a different photograph, on the wall to the door's left. This one was taken during the ceremony celebrating his appointment as Chief of Police. It showed him shaking hands with Exodia (the Forbidden One's hand dwarfing his); behind them stood the late Dark Sage, Kalvelos the Summoned Skull, Forseti the Buster Blader, and the second Dark Magician.

According to Yamato, that Dark Magician's aura could be sensed near the suspicious metal door.

_That day was the last time I ever really felt good about this job,_ Dupin thought. _Ever since, the job's consisted of one bad day after another… but now I feel something about this. Something… alive. Something that tells me this will be more than just another assignment._

Once more, his eyes went to Wagnard in the group photo.

_Sorry, old friend. I've got other things to do before we meet again._

Picking up his phone, he called the reception unit and said, "Get me through to the special forces."

**0000000**

The four monsters strode up to the door, Fifteen in the lead. He looked to the code input and asked, "What's the number again?"

"Start with 124, and then enter 33396948," Tilde replied.

One white-gloved hand flashed over the numbers, tapping in all twelve digits. The door slid open.

As the four stepped into the room behind the door, their attention was consumed utterly by just how large everything was. Pipes ran along the ceiling, all connected to one gigantic device in the back. The device looked like a pair of scales, both cups of which held a drill, and with a nozzle descending from the middle. Attached to the nozzle was a large mold, vaguely familiar. No other furniture could be seen, just the device.

In the right cup of the scale, the wounded Amphibian Beast was chained up, growling helplessly as it pulled at its chains. And in the left cup…

"Naomi!" Tessia screamed, dropping her staff. The Witch of the Black Forest was tied down, tugging helplessly at her bonds. The gag in her mouth prevented a reply.

_Do not move yet,_ a voice in their heads warned them. _I will take it as an affront._

"Look, we've admired how you've hidden yourself," Raelvion said bluntly, "but I'm sick of it now. Come on out."

Calmly, the source of the voice floated into view from the shadows. The monster wore a green coat, held shut with a strip of yellow metal and a black collar piece welded around it. It floated off the ground, but there were black boots on its feet. It wore rubber gloves, and its arms were crossed. On its face, instead of eyes and a mouth, it had two glowing red discs and a vent where it should have had a mouth. It was bald, and a strip of black metal ran up from its "face", circling around its head and rejoining the "face".

All four monsters gasped. Finally, Fifteen spoke: "You're a rumor, you know. People whisper about you. But now I see you're real."

_That I am, _the machine answered. _I dare to guess you know my name, but courtesy demands I say it. I am Jinzo._


	15. Envoy of the End

Two opposing forces were facing off in a large room deep under the Central Shadow Realm.

One force, near the room's door, consisted of four monsters. In the front, the Witty Phantom D-15A (Fifteen) bounced a Sword of Deep-Seated on his palm; behind him, the Dark Magician Raelvion kept his staff at the ready; on either side stood the Rogue Doll Tilde and the Magician of Faith Tessia, both of whom had their attention focused away from the enemy and instead on the apparatus behind it.

Near the back of the room, the opposing force stood, consisting of one and only one monster. However, this monster was more than capable of matching its enemies. It was the legendary Jinzo, a machine that looked more evil than many fiends. Currently, its glowing red eyes were trained on Fifteen.

Behind Jinzo, there sat a giant device, vaguely resembling a giant set of scales. A nozzle on the front of the scales hooked into a massive, vaguely humanoid mold – for some reason, it was made out of raregold and metalmorph. What held Tilde and Tessia's attention, though, were the cups of the scales: one of them held Jinzo's "pet", a severely injured Amphibian Beast (which it called Pav); the other (the one they were staring at) held Tessia's roommate, Naomi.

After a moment of silence, Jinzo telepathically said, _I apologize. I do not need food or drink, so I don't have any to offer you. This must make me a terrible host._

"Cut the pleasantries," Fifteen said. "They don't suit you."

_As you wish…_ The machine chuckled, floating back to the device's control panel. _You arrived with plenty of time left on the clock. I expected Copycat or Breaker to hold you off for longer than this. This will be the last time I trust non-machines._

Raelvion blinked, and then said, "It all makes sense now. Everything that happened… it all makes sense."

"Care to explain that?" Fifteen asked.

Lowering his staff, Raelvion began: "Think back to the Blue Nemuriko massacre. The papers all said the Sword Hunter was rogue… but I've seen real rogues. They're never that focused. A real rogue would have attacked every last object between himself and the back of the bar, but that Sword Hunter went after monsters specifically, only attacking objects between killings."

The piece clicked into place in Fifteen's head. "He wasn't a rogue," the fiend said, picking up the Dark Magician's thread. "He was being telepathically controlled."

"This explains the murders outside the factory as well," Raelvion continued. "This place is directly under the Equip factory, so it would be fairly easy to mind-control anyone within range."

Tessia's attention broke from her trapped roommate as the pieces continued to fall into place. "And the Shadow Killer – the Copycat – just kept the ball rolling," she said. "The more monsters it killed, the more the Central Shadow Realm focused on Fifteen and not their plan."

Finally, Raelvion stated the conclusion: "And now that its plan is nearly over, it needed to get rid of Fifteen, so it broke Breaker out of prison and had him kidnap Naomi, so that he would have no choice but to come down here."

_Up to that point, you were absolutely correct,_ Jinzo interrupted. _In truth, the Witch of the Black Forest was necessary as a sacrifice to complete my plan. Her closeness to D-15A was a bonus._

Fifteen narrowed his eyes. "What plan?"

_My plan to release Necross._ Jinzo couldn't resist a brief, telepathic laugh.

The four paused, and then Tessia said what all four were thinking: "You're insane, aren't you?"

_No one's proven it yet._

"But why?" Raelvion asked, narrowing his eyes. "After all, Necross will reduce the entire Shadow Realm to a memory. If he does that, you'll die as well…" He paused, and then asked, "Won't you?"

Jinzo flipped a couple of switches on the control panel, thinking, _I will die with the rest of you… do you mind if I work as we discuss this? I hate just standing around during a conversation._

In truth, the entire group minded, but they were not about to fight.

One hand clicked a dial back three places as the machine began: _I was a spellcaster once – my exact species no longer matters, as it's a moot point. I stopped being whatever I was years ago. I had always longed for more power, and so I began to research the different types of metallic ore and their properties when combined with muscle tissue. Soon, however, my desire for knowledge conflicted with my limitations as a monster, and so I used my knowledge to fashion a stronger frame._ It knelt, opening a lower cabinet on the control panel and moving a slide bar to the far end.

Seeing an opening, Fifteen raised his sword, only to be held back by Tilde and Raelvion. "Pick your battles," Tilde whispered. "It would just kill you if you attacked now."

_My first replacement,_ Jinzo continued, _was substituting a specially-designed steel mesh for the muscles in my left leg. That leg was three times as strong as the right leg, but soon my right leg atrophied due to this imbalance. I performed the same replacement operation on it, and the ball began rolling. Soon, I had replaced my bones with high-tensile-strength metal, my muscles with an even stronger mesh, and my skin with the red "latticework" metal you see now. The final step was dumping my intelligence and memories into a massive computer network, constructing a computer core "brain", and uploading them into it. I had made the last switch, and I was now a machine._

"So…" Throughout the speech, Tessia's expression hovered between disgust and anger. "What's it like, being a machine?"

The machine in question paused, and then shut the cabinet, rising to its full height and pulling a switch on the side of the control panel. _On a purely physical level,_ it thought, _nothing can top this. I am far stronger than I ever was flesh-and-blood, and gained all the psychic powers you've seen me use – as well as some you haven't. And I have far more knowledge than I could have hoped for as a spellcaster…_ It paused, and then set a hand over its eyes. _But sometimes I find myself willing to trade all of this for one breath. I'd trade the last hundred years for one bite of an apple. I know all, because I have lost all…_

"And all that's left is nothing," Fifteen finished for it, the flash of insight sending a shudder down his nerves.

_Exactly._ Jinzo pressed a button on the control panel. _By the way… when I was kneeling earlier, you really should have attacked me. It would have at least slowed me down. But now… Initiate **Final Power Surge**!_

Five bolts of electricity suddenly whipped around the four monsters by the door, forcing them to take cover – Fifteen covering Tessia with his body and Raelvion doing the same for Tilde. The electricity struck the device, causing several lights to flash on. Naomi, in terror, struggled all the harder with her bonds, and Pav howled at the top of its lungs.

"What the hell is this?" Fifteen yelled, trying to be heard over the sound of rushing power. Another jolt of electricity flew past, and he pulled Tessia closer to him. She whimpered, hiding her face in his chest.

Raising its hand, Jinzo hovered into the sky, pointing its other hand to the control panel. _The device behind me is a Ritual, one of my own make and design! I call it the Final Power Surge, and to trigger it, I need two things: all of the energy in this complex, and ten levels worth of life energy. I already had six levels with Pav, my Amphibian Beast, so all I needed was four more levels… and the Witch of the Black Forest did nicely._

Fifteen blinked, and then yelled, "But I'm a Level Four as well! If you weren't planning to give me to the Ritual, why did you choose me as your decoy?"

_You were there._

The fiend's jaw dropped. "What?"

Shrugging, the machine moved out of the way of another electric bolt. _When I sent the Sword Hunter into the Blue Nemuriko, you were at a table and thus provided a convenient alibi. No special reason – you were just there._

Fifteen's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. It hit him then: his entire life, everything he knew, was gone… by random chance. He was just about to charge when Raelvion, Tilde, and Tessia pulled him to the ground and pinned him.

_Now that that's out of the way…_ Jinzo lowered slightly, and with one gesture flipped an entire row of switches on the Final Power Surge control panel. _Steam energy at full! Chemical energy at full! Electricity at full! Positive energy at full! Negative energy at full! Empty the mako and phazon reserves into it!_

Regaining his senses, Fifteen muttered, "Negative energy?" A plan began to form.

The Final Power Surge Ritual was emitting beams of light, a row of gauges on the front all red-lining. In one motion, Jinzo dove to the floor, pulling down the last switch on the control panel, declaring, _Activate life energy transfer!_

Tessia gasped, staring up to where Naomi was trapped.

Above the Witch of the Black Forest, the drill activated. Its loud whirring was drowned out by the sound of rushing energy, but just seeing it caused Naomi to panic. Even as the drill lowered, Naomi bit through her gag, spat it out, and screamed, "Tessia! Help!"

This time Fifteen had to restrain the Magician of Faith. Behind them, Raelvion pulled his hat over his eyes, and Tilde looked away.

Just before the drill made contact, Naomi took a deep breath and cried out, "Liselle, I'm sorry!"

Pav, unknowing of its fate, roared in confusion and anger.

The drills made contact, and both monsters shattered instantly, their material whirling around the cups before being sucked down into the body of the Ritual.

A moment later, Tessia ceased struggling and burst into tears, holding onto Fifteen. The Witty Phantom, meanwhile, put a hand over his face, hiding his own tears.

_Rejoice for your lost friend,_ Jinzo said, setting itself on top of the Final Power Surge. _She has become part of the Shadow Realm's fate._

"If you were righteous, you would have sacrificed yourself to that thing," Raelvion said, his voice barely above a whisper. By now, the power had ceased surging, and so he was easily heard.

_I never claimed righteousness… unlike you._ The machine snapped its fingers, turning a dial on the Ritual's body. _Final stage activation begins._

All of the power within the Final Power Surge burst out in a rush, down the nozzle and into the mold beneath it. In the process, the device consumed itself, large portions collapsing inward and reducing to a rusted hulk. Jinzo prudently floated off of the device.

There was a series of popping sounds as the lights blew out, and then the entire complex was lit in an unearthly red as the emergency lighting kicked in.

"So…" Tilde paused, and then finished her question. "…what's in that mold?"

_My other creation, the counterpart to the Final Power Surge._ The psychic machine rubbed its hands together as the mold began shifting…

**0000000**

Directly outside of the Central Shadow Realm Police Headquarters, Dupin stood on the top of the steps leading in, examining the Special Forces he had requested.

In front of the assembly stood a team of Tactical Espionage Experts, arms across their chests in salute. A group of Chaosrider Gustaphs revved their motors, exchanging crude jokes; the Warriors of Zera next to them occasionally shot the group a disapproving glance or two. A small force of Legendary Jujitsu Masters punched their palms with their fists, smiling grimly. And in the back, a pack of Mad Dogs of Darkness snarled and tugged at their chains, which were held by a pair of Newdorias. A number of very powerful magic cubes were at the side of each member of the Special Forces.

After looking over them one more time, Dupin sighed. They were the Special Forces, after all, the shock troops the police held in reserve in times of trouble. But if they decided not to listen to orders, he couldn't think of anyone to call out against _them._

Before he could think anything more depressing, two other monsters approached him. One was a beautiful woman in armor, hand on a sword at her side and other hand carrying a shield; the other was a pale-faced man with blue hair, clad in a black cape and a red hat. Dupin relaxed; the Penumbral Soldier Lady, Sophitia, was in charge of the Special Forces.

"Dupin," Sophitia said, bowing. "I thought it would be another fifty years before you called us out again. What do you think of the new crop?"

Pausing to consider his words, the chief of police finally answered, "You have some… interesting ones this time around. I don't think you've introduced me to your friend, though."

Stepping back, Sophitia turned to the other monster. "Dupin, meet my assistant, the Trap Master TM-662. Trap Master, Chief of Police Dupin."

"My pleasure," the Trap Master said in a low, hissing voice. "Pardon me if I don't shake hands…" A buzz saw poked through the top of the cape.

Dupin merely bowed. "I've worked with your kind before. Glad to have you along, as we don't know what we'll be dealing with here." Turning to the Special Forces monsters, the chief of police yelled, "Attention!"

The monsters completely ignored him. Right now, the Chaosrider Gustaphs were training their Ookazi guns on the Warriors of Zera.

"Forgot their little quirk…" Dupin muttered. At the top of his lungs, he yelled, "Dupin demands your attention!"

Now the Special Forces heard him. As one, they turned and acknowledged him.

"Your orders are as follows," Dupin continued, a little quieter now. "We will proceed to the Work Quarters, more specifically to the abandoned Equip factory at its edge. There, we are to investigate a mysterious door found within the factory. If needs be, we will open the door and proceed further inside. Be on your guard – unusual aura traces were found around that door! Are we ready?"

The Special Forces roared as one. In the case of the Mad Dogs of Darkness, that roar was literal.

As Sophitia headed out to give specific orders to the different monster groups, Dupin turned to reenter the building… and then froze as an all-too-familiar voice asked, "Sir?"

After dashing off a silent prayer to the gods, the warrior turned and held back a groan. His prayer wasn't answered – Aysev and Geefor were still there, hands behind their backs (which made Geefor seem a great deal smaller).

"Sir," Geefor began, "we understand that you're heading to the Work Quarters. An informant has told us that D-15A was last seen there…"

Aysev blurted, "And we want to come with."

There was a pause, as Dupin weighed the options, and then he shrugged and said, "You might as well. The Big Core will be here shortly to take us."

Even as he said that, the Big Core descended from the skies. Dupin pulled himself atop it with one smooth motion, impressive for a monster his age. After a moment, Aysev threw Geefor on top of it before springing onto the machine's back.

With that, the Special Forces were on the move.

**0000000**

Throughout the Central Shadow Realm, all of the machines that Jinzo hadn't reprogrammed suddenly stopped, feeling a low surge of electromagnetic radiation. They couldn't tell where it was coming from, but from the feel of it, the radiation originated from under the city.

In truth, the source of the EMR was a large mold, in the heart of Jinzo's complex. As the psychic machine watched, the mold quivered at high speed, bits and pieces flying off and landing everywhere.

Given no choice, the four monsters on the other side of the room had swallowed their grief and were preparing for battle. Raising his sword, Fifteen asked Raelvion, "Any clue what that thing is?"

"None whatsoever," Raelvion replied, raising his staff. "All I can tell you is that we're in deep trouble. Whatever's in there feels powerful, and it's not even out yet!"

Tessia and Tilde, knowing they were outclassed, sank back to the door, holding their arms out before them.

A moment later, the mold exploded, throwing pieces of the raregold and metalmorph alloy everywhere. One piece struck Raelvion in the stomach, winding him.

When the smoke cleared, the creation raised its arms and let out a low growl, steam emitting from its mouth. It was almost identical to Exodia, but its entire body was metal. Two large holes appeared in its hands as it clenched both fists, and its eyes lit up with a bright red sheen.

All four monsters stared, hands and weapons at their sides. Fifteen finally asked, "What is that?"

_My creation finally lives,_ Jinzo said, its thoughts bearing a hint of triumph. _Behold the very end of the Shadow Realm… the metal god itself, **Mechanical Exodia!**_

The giant machine roared at maximum volume, the sheer noise nearly flooring all four of Jinzo's enemies. Then, half-bending, it stalked forward, each step shaking the floor of the room.

_Fighting it will do you no good,_ Jinzo continued. _In addition to its own considerable power, Mechanical Exodia absorbed the power of the monsters I sacrificed to trigger its awakening. And once it has destroyed you, it will absorb your own power, adding it to its strength. By the time it finds Exodia, my creation will be powerful enough to kill him, and then the end shall begin!_ It laughed uproariously.

Before anyone could stop him, Fifteen charged. He didn't even get in range before Mechanical Exodia grabbed him and hurled him into the ceiling. Following a moment stuck to the ceiling, the fiend fell back amid his allies, leg twitching.

A worried Tessia bent over him, murmuring, "Are you all right?"

"Not going… to justify that… with an answer." The Witty Phantom jammed his sword into the ground, pulling himself back to his feet.

Stepping forward, Raelvion spun his staff, and then snapped it forward with a cry of, "Dark Magic Attack!" His magic burst from the staff's tip, slamming into Mechanical Exodia's chest. It didn't even leave a mark. Raelvion began to sweat.

Lifting one hand, Mechanical Exodia began to charge up its own blast. Invoking his Magical Hats, Raelvion stuffed the other three into the same hat as him. The machine fired its energy… and vaporized all of the hats at once, taking out the back wall of the room in the process. Thankfully, the blast hadn't hit the monsters within the last hat.

The Dark Magician blinked twice, and then grabbed Tilde and ran for the corridor. Fifteen grabbed Tessia (who was dazed from the flash of energy) and followed. The escape did not last long; a metal wall slid into place, cutting off the hallway and bringing the monsters to a halt.

Setting a recovering Tessia down, Fifteen turned back to the giant machine and said, out of the corner of his mouth, "Any plans that don't involve screaming and getting blown apart?"

Tilde slid off of Raelvion's back, and he quickly gestured between her and Mechanical Exodia. She took the hint, and both spellcasters launched their magic at the metal titan. The duel magical attacks joined into one bolt of energy, slamming into Mechanical Exodia's chest.

It did absolutely nothing. The machine continued its approach towards the four, not even slowed by the hit.

Suddenly, the machine did stop moving… and then it raised its hand. Already they could see the power building up within it.

And then it raised its other hand, power building up in that one as well. It placed both hands side by side, so that when it fired it would unleash a wide, unstoppable beam.

Given no other choice, Mechanical Exodia's victims did the one thing they could: they ran forward, throwing themselves between the titan's legs. It was sheer luck that none of them actually hit the legs head-first. The resulting energy blast reduced the metal wall to its component atoms.

As Fifteen and his allies pulled themselves to their feet, Jinzo hovered past them, thinking, _No matter what you try, it will fail. The Mechanical Exodia is my masterpiece, the ultimate machine. It is unstoppable. All your efforts are futile; you will die here, and my creation will bring the end of all things._

"No…" Tessia looked to Raelvion, tears building up in her eyes. "We have to be able to do something… can't we?"

Fifteen had taken off his hat, and was checking it for damage. It was fairly battered to begin with, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. As he was about to put his hat back on, the fiend's eyes widened. He turned to Raelvion as well, noting, "Didn't you say you had three magic cubes left? Maybe one of them can get us out of this!"

Taking the cubes from his pocket, Raelvion studied them for a second and then put two back. He stood up and activated the third, declaring, "Wave-Motion Cannon!"

Even as he activated the cube, Raelvion threw it to the ground. It was a wise move, as the cube then exploded, dropping a large, round cannon of elaborate design to the ground at the Dark Magician's feet. A panel on the back slid open, showing a meter with a counter next to it. At the moment, the counter read "0".

"Now the hard part…" Raelvion sighed, and turned to the other monsters behind him. "From the looks of it, I need to charge the Wave-Motion Cannon to Level Six or higher to destroy that machine. At a level every minute and forty seconds, this will take ten minutes. We have to keep Mechanical Exodia from attacking the cannon…"

Fifteen sighed, slid off his jacket, and finished Raelvion's statement. "…and that means we have to keep him occupied." Handing his jacket to Tessia, he set his hat on her head. "Keep that safe for me."

"I'd never let anything touch it," Tessia replied, looking into Fifteen's eyes. Green met purple, and then he leaned forward. The two kissed for a moment, and then Fifteen rose to his feet, raising his sword.

Watching all this from its midair position, Jinzo regretted not having a mouth. It wanted popcorn so badly.

The Witty Phantom strode up to Mechanical Exodia, which had stopped to rest after its last attack, and slammed the side of his sword against it. The machine's response was to grab him and hurl him into a wall. Since most of the bones around the point of impact were ones he'd broken during his fights with Gaia, he was used to the pain by now.

The giant machine raised its hand to charge up a ball of energy, but a bolt of magic struck it in the back. With surprising speed for its size, the machine wheeled, staring down at Tilde. The Rogue Doll fired another shot of magic, only to get backhanded about a hundred yards down the hallway.

Even as Fifteen struggled back to his feet, Mechanical Exodia turned back to him, charging up its next shot. However, before the shot was even halfway charged, Jinzo ordered, _Cease._ The machine drew its hand back as Jinzo continued, _Do not use that attack. You are to use your strength against him… draw it out._

The fiend heard Jinzo's order, and suddenly wanted no part of it. Ignoring the pain in his back, he charged Mechanical Exodia, slashing at its side again and again with the Sword of Deep-Seated. To say the attack was useless would be understatement of the highest caliber.

Its attention drawn to the fiend, the steel titan reached down and grabbed him. Its grip tightened, cracking all of Fifteen's ribs at once. Even as the pain shot through him, Fifteen couldn't help thinking, _New record…_

Blast after blast of magic struck the back of Mechanical Exodia. It pivoted, throwing Fifteen down the hall, and then turned and struck Tilde with one heavy fist. She flew into the wall, leaving a large dent for her size.

Coughing up blood, Fifteen set his hand on the wall, pushing himself upright. "How long?" he yelled to Raelvion.

The Dark Magician knelt, checking the Wave-Motion Cannon's gauge. "It's at Level One!" he answered.

Quickly, Fifteen did a little math in his head, and then winched. _Eight minutes and twenty seconds to go? I'm in trouble._ Looking up, he saw how appropriate those words were: Mechanical Exodia had moved up to him. The machine kicked him in the stomach, throwing him into the air.

**0000000**

In the Shadow Council chambers, the current meeting was currently several hours old, since it was an emergency meeting and thus couldn't end without a resolution. And at his seat, the real Exodia slumped over his lectern, head buried in his arms. Around him, the air was filled with the loud, indignant bickering of every single member of the Shadow Council.

Well, not every member. The Toon Gemini Elf had fled the Central Shadow Realm, taking the first train back to Toon World. D'Ampton, the Lord of Dragons, and Escalus, the Police Representative, were both gone now, presumably for their own safety. The Rude Kaiser, Reptile, Insect and Dinosaur Monitor, had declared all of the monsters in his sector were out of control and then stormed out of the chambers.

Unfortunately, Mr. Volcano and Sellick, the Harpies Brother, were both in attendance. And both were currently holding a loud and fairly obscene screaming match at the moment. After five minutes of their argument, Messiena (the Wingweaver – Fairy Representative) had let out a little gasp and passed out. Forseti and the Legendary Fisherman had helped carry her into the hall for fresh air; none of the three were back yet. Something told Exodia they wouldn't be back.

For the fifth time, Exodia asked Suleiman, "When did I lose control of this group?"

"About…" Suleiman checked his watch. "Three hours and forty-seven minutes ago."

The Forbidden One risked looking up. He saw the door slam shut as yet another monster left the chamber. An inspection revealed that Pumpking had finally gotten tired of the argument and walked out. As Exodia watched, the Machine King turned to him and said, "Permission to be excused?"

"Granted," Exodia said, sighing afterward. It was pointless to hold it back.

The Machine King spun about and made its way out of the chamber, dropping the Council past quorum.

Watching him go, Suleiman glanced over to a particular empty seat. "Huh. Ophelia's gone, too."

On hearing this, Exodia let out a low groan. "It's worse than I thought," he said. "If _she_ left, we're in deep trouble."

**0000000**

If one were to leave the Council chamber, turn left, and go three doors down, they would arrive at the records office. Here, a wide array of Council minutes is kept, both in their original Disc Magician disk forms and in transcript form; the shelves are twelve feet high and stuffed full. There's also a small room in the back, carefully sectioned off, where a small stove and a variety of teas may be found.

Ophelia had retreated into the records office when the arguing started, and after brewing herself a pot of oolong tea, she settled into a fairly comfy chair and tried to figure out why she was still in this job.

_Think about it,_ she thought to herself. _None of your ideas ever make it through, nobody gives you respect, and the judgment of whether it's an important vote or not is whether they throw you out of the room or not! Some days, you don't get to say one word before they ask you to leave!_

Even as she wallowed in self-pity, there was a gentle knock at the door. A soft male voice asked, "Can I come in?"

The sound of the voice knocked Ophelia out of her thoughts. She answered, "Of course."

As she'd thought, the monster behind the door was a Kagemusha of the Blue Flame. This one wore a blue sash around his waist to go with his green pants, and he was unarmed, since anything that wanted to kill him wouldn't be stopped by any weapons he had. His name was Reynald, and Ophelia knew him very well – he was her boyfriend, after all.

"Thought I'd find you here," he said, sliding into a chair next to hers. "This is where you go whenever they throw you out, after all."

Ophelia sighed, pushing the teapot and a cup towards him. "That's all the time, nowadays," she said. "I'm wondering if being a part of the Council means anything anymore."

Shrugging, Reynald poured himself a cup of tea. "If you weren't there, it would almost be a high-level club," he pointed out. "Sellick speaks for a type, Escalus speaks for the police, D'Ampton speaks for the Blue Eyes White Dragon, and the Toon Gemini Elf speaks for Toon World. You're the only voice the low levels have on the Council."

"And they never listen!" the Queen's Double replied. "Every time I start talking, they all tune out. And just as I'm reaching the good part, a vote comes up and they eject me. I'm starting to think I should just quit…"

Reynald took hold of Ophelia's arm, turning her face to his. "Don't," he said. "You told me once that this job was your reason for living, that it was why you had come to exist in the Central Shadow Realm. Has that changed?"

Giving it some thought, Ophelia shook her head.

"Then stay with it," Reynald said, sipping his tea between sentences. "If you make even one change in the Central Shadow Realm, you have served a purpose. Remember it."

Ophelia's eyes widened. What Reynald had said to her was exactly what she'd said to him when they first met.

"_Low-Level Representation? Isn't that a waste of time?_"

"_If I make even one change, I've served a purpose. That's why I took the job."_

Sighing happily, Ophelia shut her eyes, feeling her resolve return. "Thank you, Reynald."

"It's what I do," Reynald replied.

**0000000**

Under the city, eight minutes had passed. Raelvion was still bent over the Wave-Motion Cannon, which had charged to Level Four. There was still two minutes left, and he looked up to where Tilde and Fifteen were fighting Mechanical Exodia…

…and were barely recognizable. Fifteen dangled from one of the machine's hands by one leg, the Sword of Deep-Seated jammed through his left arm. Tilde, meanwhile, was currently being bounced against the floor like a basketball. After a moment of this, Mechanical Exodia hurled both its victims down the hall, where they made a wet bouncing noise.

In the air above them, Jinzo let loose its telepathic laughter, a sinister mental cackle that bore into the minds of all four of its enemies. After this was done with, however, it sighed through the metal slits on the front of its face. _I grow bored of this,_ it thought to Mechanical Exodia. _Kill them both._

Tessia curled up into a small ball, clutching Fifteen's hat to her chest. The Dark Magician touched her shoulder, trying to comfort her as he watched the Cannon's power reach Level Five.

Barely able to move, Fifteen forced himself to raise his head. He could feel the sword embedded in his arm, and wrote off using that one to survive. Turning, he saw an unconscious Tilde, Breaker's shield still on her back, utterly helpless.

And he could see his death in Mechanical Exodia's palms, charging to full power…

Reaching out with his right arm, he grabbed Breaker's shield and turned the gem towards himself, angling the shield upward.

The steel titan let the power loose, but it struck Breaker's shield, pushing Fifteen back several feet. The energy flew back, slamming into the machine and causing it to stumble.

_What just happened?_ Jinzo roared.

Forcing himself onto his feet, the Witty Phantom yanked the sword from his arm, shaking his blood off it. A glance to Breaker's shield made it clear another blast would destroy it, so he tossed it aside and charged, adrenaline numbing the pain. Mechanical Exodia tried to grab him as he ran, but Fifteen threw himself forward, ramming the Sword of Deep-Seated into one of the machine's eyes.

Bits of glass flew as the metal giant bellowed, snatching up the fiend and turning to ram him against the wall. It did this again and again, until the Witty Phantom was knocked out, and then slammed him to the ground.

"Mechanical Exodia!" Raelvion called, watching the Wave-Motion Cannon power up to Level Six.

Even as the machine made its last move and turned towards him, Raelvion pulled the trigger. The cannon shook as it finished charging.

The machine's one good eye saw what was coming. It froze, unable to comprehend the situation.

The Wave-Motion Cannon fired one incredible blast, consuming all the energy within it and causing it to explode. All of the force of the shot slammed into Mechanical Exodia's head.

When the smoke cleared, there was no longer a head there. The machine's body twitched and sparks flew from within the slain steel titan, as it staggered in its robotic death throes.

Jinzo let out a long, rage-filled mental scream, its hands flashing before it. Picking up the destabilizing body of its creation, the psychic machine drew a magic cube from its pocket and slammed them together.

The smoke cleared, revealing the headless machine surrounded by a white ball of sparks. Floating down in front of it, Jinzo crossed its arms and thought, _You were very lucky, all of you. But you will not destroy my life's work. My Maintaining Shield shall keep it whole for the time being. Now…_

Taking another magic cube from within its coat, it triggered it, tossing the cube into the air. All around it, a soft rain began to fall – very unusual, as they were both indoors and underground.

As drops of the rain landed on Fifteen and Tilde, they blinked and awoke, feeling their bodies surge with power. Turning his head, Fifteen could see the gaping wound from his sword beginning to heal. Even as he watched, the wound vanished, and the now-familiar sensation of his bones knitting assured him his other injuries were gone. Glancing to Tilde, he saw the same was true for her.

Moving Fifteen's clothes to keep the rain from hitting them, Tessia muttered, "This is a Rain of Mercy… But why are you healing us?"

_I want you in good shape for your battle with me,_ Jinzo answered.

Standing amid the ruins of the Wave-Motion Cannon, Raelvion dusted off his robes and narrowed his eyes. "With you?"

_Yes, with me._ Jinzo's eyes flashed a deeper red than ever before. _When I have killed you all, the Maintaining Shield will allow me time to repair Mechanical Exodia. In this way shall it finish its duty, and bring the end of the Shadow Realm. Let me assure you…_ Its hands glowed with the dark aura of its power. _We are **not** done here._


	16. Dark Showdown

The skies above the Work Quarters suddenly went dark as the Special Forces arrived. A number of Birdfaces, Gradius, and Big Cores came down to land, the monsters atop them leaping off at the first opportunity; once on the ground, the monsters moved into formation, awaiting orders.

The final Big Core landed, carrying Dupin, Aysev, and Geefor. The chief was first off of the ship, moving in front of the troops; Aysev followed, first dropping Geefor off of the machine.

"Dupin demands your attention!" the warrior called. As one, the Special Forces quieted and straightened up. "Ready your weapons. We will now proceed in an orderly manner to our target location, the abandoned Equip factory. If our intelligence is to be believed, there is a risk of hostile monsters there, so be on guard. Now… in an orderly manner… onward!"

And the Special Forces took off at full speed towards the Equip factory, the Chaosrider Gustaphs roaring and waving their Ookazi guns.

Left in the dust, Dupin could only mutter, "That is _not_ an orderly manner…" With a sigh, he waved Aysev and Geefor over, and the three moved at a somewhat more leisurely pace towards the factory.

Thankfully, Sophitia and the Trap Master had managed to inject a certain degree of order into the Special Forces, and all of said monsters were waiting for Dupin when he finally arrived. A moment later, Yamato the Noble Samurai walked out of the factory, followed by the Command Knight.

"Thank the gods you showed up," Yamato said, setting one hand to his left temple and rubbing it. "I've started hearing the strangest noises from whatever's behind that door. If something unpleasant is happening down there, it's getting worse."

Dupin nodded. "I have my suspicions about that door," he said. "I suggest you take the Command Knight and find somewhere safe to go for the time being."

The samurai's eyebrow arched. "There's a place safer than alongside the CSRPD Special Forces?"

"You have a point," the chief admitted. "And I know you can fight… all right, come along." The forces, along with Yamato and the Command Knight, headed into the factory.

On entering the building, Dupin suddenly stopped, causing Yamato to nearly collide with him. The chief of police then took off running towards the back of the building, Aysev and Geefor rushing to keep up with him.

All three monsters stopped when they reached the metal door, and Dupin kneeled, placing his fingers to it. After a long moment, he finally said, "Do you remember the 'prank' from last month?"

Geefor closed his eyes, and then nodded. "Yeah. Somebody sent a card to the station with an unusual aura trace, the message 'He is real' on one side, and 'Jinzo' on the other. We all had a good laugh…"

"Sense the aura on this door and you won't laugh."

The Sasuke Samurai #1 moved up to the door, set his fingers on the door, and then gasped. "That… that's the same aura as the card!" he said.

Now Aysev had moved up to them, and she too set her hand to the door. After a moment, she swallowed hard. "Do you mean…"

Dupin nodded. "It wasn't a prank. I always thought Jinzo was just a rumor, but it seems we all ignored a true danger."

Behind the three, Sophitia set the Special Forces on their patrol routes, and then approached the door herself. "Shall we proceed?" she asked.

Shaken from his trance, Dupin stood up and looked to the Trap Master. "Care to give the door an once-over?"

Rather than answer with words, the Trap Master simply threw aside his cape. His entire lower body consisted of multiple mechanical arms; each was tipped with a different tool – among others, there was a buzzsaw, a drill, a gripping claw, and a small laser. Thus prepared, the odd warrior floated over the doorway, shutting his eyes. "Traps found," he said a moment later.

The police prudently moved back.

A sudden blur of activity obscured the Trap Master's limbs, but when it was all over, several broken trap cubes littered the floor… and the door itself was half-embedded in the wall. Without another word, the Trap Master withdrew his limbs, retrieved his cape, and put it back on.

Once everyone else in the immediate area had retrieved their jaws, Yamato looked down into the open doorway. "An elevator's coming," he said.

"Call back the patrols, Sophitia," Dupin said in response. "We're going in."

**0000000**

Red light bounced off the metal walls under the city, as four battered and bruised monsters prepared for battle.

Fifteen leaned on his Sword of Deep-Seated, muscles slowly repairing themselves thanks to the Rain of Mercy (which, interestingly, had left his clothes totally dry). Behind him, Tessia clung to his hat, her eyes red from crying.

On Fifteen's left, Raelvion muttered a group of incantations, causing magic to arc up and down his staff. Tilde, behind Raelvion, had tucked her staff into her apron and was rotating her hands around each other, chanting softly.

And on the other side of the room, next to the headless body of the once-proud Mechanical Exodia, the machine known only as Jinzo flexed its gloved hands, eyes glowing even redder in the odd lights of the emergency lighting. It floated forward, thinking to them, _Are you ready yet, Witty Phantom D-15A? I grow bored._

"Perhaps if your toy there hadn't thrashed us quite so much, you wouldn't have to wait like this," Fifteen said, all his frustration pouring out in the sentence. He hefted his sword and gave it an anticipatory swing. Everything seemed to be working.

_I would apologize, but since Mechanical Exodia was supposed to kill you and not just beat you senseless, it would be beside the point._ Steam shot out of the vent Jinzo had in place of a mouth. _What about you, Dark Magician? You just sat around with that damned cannon during the battle. Are you prepared?_

Raelvion sighed and nodded. "That I am." He sighted down his staff at Jinzo. "I presume you're ready to die… or shut down… or…" The spellcaster's eyebrow arched. "How does that work for machines, anyway?"

There was a moment's pause, and then Jinzo shrugged. _I try not to think about it._ It then floated forward, one hand held before it. _My patience is exhausted. You will now die. And to ensure it… _A magic cube floated from Jinzo's coat and activated.

A flash of light covered the machine, forcing the other monsters to look away, and when it cleared… Jinzo had changed. Black metal bands covered its wrists, elbows, knees and ankles, and round metal cylinders stuck to its forearms and neck. A field of electricity crackled around it.

Raelvion's eyes grew wide. "A Machine Conversion Factory…" He then gulped. "This will not be easy."

_No. It will not._ The machine thrust out one hand.

All four monsters flew up into the air, slamming hard into the ceiling. They hung there a moment, and then Jinzo lowered its hand, causing all four to slam into the floor.

"Ugh…" Tessia said from the floor. "I think my ribs just broke…"

"Welcome to the club," Fifteen answered her. The four struggled back to their feet.

And suddenly Raelvion went flying back, slamming into the floor again. As he tried to get to his feet, Jinzo lifted its hand, yanking the Dark Magician upright. Another twist of the machine's hand sent the mage soaring into the wall – and a flick from its other hand propelled him into the _other_ wall.

"Sir!" Tilde yelled. She then muttered a soft, "Eep," as Jinzo looked to her.

A few seconds later, she was hurtling down the hallway.

The machine now turned its attention to Fifteen. One of its hands snapped out, and the full force of its mind slammed into the fiend. Swiftly, the Witty Phantom turned his sword over and slammed it into the floor, bracing himself. It was like being struck dead-on with a cannonball, but he managed to keep from moving.

Once the shock of Jinzo's attack was past, Fifteen drew his sword out again and charged, swinging at the machine. Its eyes flashed, and a pair of lasers struck the blade, knocking it back. The fiend just stared for a moment.

It was a moment too long.

Jinzo flicked his hand up, and Fifteen went into the ceiling again. As he fell, the machine's other hand thrust towards the hallway, and the unfortunate fiend flew into Raelvion, flooring both of them again.

The two monsters slid apart, both moaning, and Fifteen growled before muttering, "I can't even get close enough to hit it. What are we going to do?"

"I've got an idea. Now get off me," Raelvion whispered. The Witty Phantom rolled aside, freeing up Raelvion's legs.

In one motion, the Dark Magician was back on his feet. Sweeping his arm back, he charged his magic into his staff and then pointed it at Jinzo. At the same time, he snapped his fingers.

Fifteen took his cue, rolling upright and moving in to attack.

"Dark Magic Attack!" Raelvion called, letting his power loose…

But at the moment his spell discharged, Jinzo pointed one finger to Fifteen. The Dark Magician gulped as he felt the muscles in his arm go rigid, and then his arm swung around to point at Fifteen.

Tilde, finally recovered from her previous collision with the floor, saw what happened. "Fifteen, get down!" she yelled.

Over the previous eleven days, Fifteen's instincts had developed a reaction to suit yells like that. The fiend dove, causing the blast of dark magic to barely miss hitting him.

Raising its gloved hands, Jinzo clapped, its eyes burning a deeper red than usual. _Well done, D-15A!_ it thought. _I commend your reflexes… and I advise the Dark Magician not to attack again. I can twist his arm backwards as easily as I can move it side-to-side._

Tessia, who had crawled as far back as she could, whispered, "Do we have a chance?"

There was a pause, and then Fifteen said, "I doubt it. That machine's psychic – that's an advantage I don't think we can counter."

"As much as I hate to agree," Raelvion said, massaging the muscles in his staff arm, "you may well be right. It doesn't even need to touch us to deflect our attacks and injure us. We, on the other hand, are forced onto the defense and left to pray for an opening."

_Exactly,_ Jinzo thought. _Now back to my fun._ It floored the entire group with one wave of its hand.

**0000000**

Underneath the Central Shadow Realm Police Headquarters, there was a large set of holding cells. They were arranged in a circle, making it easy for a single guard to keep track of all of them at once. But since it would require utter stupidity to ever only have one guard on duty, there were three – minimum.

Currently, five of the cells were occupied – the ones containing each member of the Dark Scorpions. Gorg was sleeping, leaning against the wall of his cell; Chick was pacing so rapidly that his footsteps spat up little clouds of dust; Meanae was filing her nails (a guard kept a very close eye on her, ensuring she didn't file the bars); and Don Zaloog himself was readjusting the band over his eye.

Cliff the Trap Remover, meanwhile, was leaning out through the bars of his cell, telling a Kanan the Swordmistress, "I'm telling you, the storeroom's got jewels stacked up to the ceiling. The _ceiling!_ And the ceiling's ten feet high in there!"

The armored woman was completely entranced… which meant Cliff's lesser-known habits were at work again. Sometimes, the other Dark Scorpions joked that Cliff should have had the nickname "Cliff the Flirt".

The Trap Remover grinned, shoving his glasses back up on his face with the bottom of his palm. "Some of those jewels are the rarest things in the world," Cliff continued, now that he had the Swordmistress's full attention. "We've got pieces of Hyozanryu eggs, Red Archery Girl pearls… we've even got the…"

Don Zaloog rapped on his cell wall. "Ixnay on the Eartay!"

Cliff winced, and then said, "Well, let's just say it's _extremely _rare."

The other two guards, both Nubian Guards, shook their heads.

Cliff's spiel was interrupted when the door to the holding room opened. From down the hall, another guard yelled, "Inspector Yoshida to see the prisoners!"

Through the door walked a Mysterious Puppeteer. Unlike the rest of his kind, this one had adapted the traditional robes and head coverings of the Mysterious Puppeteer - he had painstakingly restitched the outermost robe into a trench coat. As for the head coverings, he kept them for the most part unchanged… but he wore a fedora on top of them. This was MP-177, Inspector Yoshida, one of the most successful officers in the CSRPD, so nobody ever laughed.

Looking up, Don Zaloog flashed the warrior a wry smile. "Well, well… come to gloat, Double-Seven Yoshida?"

"Somewhat," Yoshida replied. "Honestly… do you think you're fooling anyone, turning yourself in like this? I know you're just trying to massage your ego by breaking out of the CSRPD holding cells."

Faking shock, Don Zaloog muttered, "Oh, no, you caught on…" He then smiled again, continuing, "You may well be right, but still… we're in them. Doesn't it burn you up inside that you weren't the one who put us here?"

There was a pause, and then Yoshida sighed, causing his facial cover to billow. "Perhaps," he said. "Still, seeing you in those cells does fulfill my life's work." He turned to leave, but then stopped and glanced to Chick, causing the younger Dark Scorpion to recoil. "Has that one ever served any purpose?"

"He keeps the guards busy with his running," Meanae answered, putting away her nail file.

The room went silent, and then Chick muttered, "And here I thought you were on my side."

The Mysterious Puppeteer laughed, tilting his hat downwards again, and then turned and left the holding room. The guard outside yelled, "Inspector Yoshida coming out!"

Once the room had returned to normal, Cliff smiled slyly at the Kanan the Swordmistress outside his cell again, glancing over the top of his spectacles. "Excuse me, my dear warrior lady," he asked, "but could you get me a glass of water? Having to look at Double-Seven Yoshida makes me so thirsty."

"No problem," she replied, blushing. Turning, she left the holding room as well, to the usual yell.

Once the guard was out, Don Zaloog suddenly grabbed his covered eye, yelling, "Agh! It hurts!"

Curious as to how an eye that wasn't there could hurt, one of the Nubian Guards approached the cell… and when Don Zaloog kicked the door open, he was knocked backwards.

Quickly, the leader of the Dark Scorpions rolled forward, tripping the guard, and then slammed his head into the floor to knock him out. Once that was done, he sprang at the second guard, kicking him hard in the gut. This one was out before he hit the floor.

Bending down, Don Zaloog swiped the keys from the second guard, muttering, "Eyelash nothing… those doors would unlock if I breathed on them the right way." He then set about freeing the rest of the group.

As he emerged from his cell, Chick glared at Meanae. Meanae's response was, "Well, it's true…" Gorg, emerging behind Chick, covered his mouth in a silent snicker.

"Now, then," Don Zaloog said, catching the attention of the other Dark Scorpions, "we still have to break into the evidence room, get our weapons back, and then get out of this building. Are we ready?"

The others nodded, and then suddenly the guard down the hall yelled, "Guard coming in!"

The one thing the Kanan the Swordmistress hadn't expected to see was the prisoners out of their cells and standing over the unconscious guards. She spent a crucial moment just staring.

Cliff immediately moved up to her, and before the female warrior could react, he kissed her firmly on the lips. This lasted for several seconds, and when it ended, the Swordmistress was blushing too hard to do anything.

Pushing his glasses back up, the Trap Remover began pouring on the charm: "Now, you see, I have business on the outside. Don't take it personally, babe… I'll make sure to come back and see you some day…"

At that point, Meanae grabbed his arm and began to pull him out of the room. Taken aback, Cliff yelled to the guard, "Call me!"

From upstairs, in the CSRPD break room, Inspector Yoshida could hear the guard's surprised cry, "Dark Scorpions coming out!" For the benefit of the guard next to him, he groaned in disappointment.

But on the inside, Inspector Yoshida cheered.

**0000000**

In accordance with its own artistic bent, Jinzo had set about posing its victims through the use of its mind. Currently, it was forcing Raelvion and Tessia to tense every single muscle in their bodies, bar none. Fifteen, meanwhile, it was curling into the tightest backwards circle possible.

As for Tilde, due to lack of knowledge about her anatomy, the machine had merely knocked the Rogue Doll out and stuffed her in a corner for now.

Fifteen had known pain before – he had battled Gaia and survived, so incredible, mind-crushing pain was really nothing new. But the previous incidents were more concentrated to single points. This pain was the sort that dug out individual nerve endings and made them scream. He himself would scream, but his vocal cords weren't in a state to do anything of the sort at the moment.

Finally, Jinzo grew bored. It lowered its hands, and the three monsters fell out of their poses… and to the floor. _Well, all this was fun,_ it thought, _but I'm wasting my time. Time I could use instead to repair Mechanical Exodia and bring about the end of the Shadow Realm. You understand, I hope…_

Raising one hand, Jinzo concentrated. A small ball of dark energy came into being, the air crackling with ozone around it.

It was an effort just to raise his head, but Fifteen did it… and swallowed hard when he saw what was coming.

_Goodbye, D-15A. _ Jinzo pointed its hand at the prone Witty Phantom. _Cyber Energy Shock._

At that moment, Tilde woke up. Her mind was still a fog from Jinzo knocking her out, but she could see Jinzo's impending attack – and she could feel Breaker's shield next to her hand.

The resulting mental calculations took all of a half-second.

Breaker's shield slammed into the machine, sending its Cyber Energy Shock flying far to the side of the recovering monsters and causing a bright flash of light to fill the room.

The light soon faded, revealing that Jinzo was, for the most part, unscathed… but the Machine Conversion Factory was gone. All that was left was smoke on Jinzo's joints.

Breaker's shield, being far more durable than anyone would have guessed, spun idly at the machine's feet before falling to the floor. With a glance, it sent the shield flying.

The monsters regrouped, rubbing their wounded limbs, as Jinzo dealt with the new situation. "All right," Raelvion said in a whisper, stretching as he talked. "That's taken the edge off his power, which means we can make our moves again."

"Assuming he doesn't just throw us around the room like juggling pins again," Fifteen replied, rubbing his sore back.

Tessia said nothing, but her worried glances towards Jinzo were enough.

Rising to his feet, Raelvion tested his stance, making sure he wouldn't suddenly fall. Thus assured, he pointed his staff towards Jinzo and began to say, "Dark Magic A-"

Jinzo flicked its hand idly, and Raelvion collapsed to the floor, grabbing his stomach. It felt like a Kangaroo Champ had just hit him with a body blow. The machine flicked its other hand upward, and it was as if the Kangaroo Champ had gone for the uppercut. The Dark Magician slumped to the floor.

Turning now, the machine faced Fifteen, who'd made the approach on him while it was busy with Raelvion. It flew back a few feet, dodging the fiend's first wild swing, and then fired a pair of lasers out of its eyes. To its surprise, Fifteen deflected them off the edge of his sword.

As another of Fifteen's attacks came in, Jinzo moved to the side, charging another Cyber Energy Shock in its palm. The Witty Phantom moved in for the kill, raising his blade overhead…

…when Jinzo suddenly grabbed his stomach, the Cyber Energy Shock burning a hole through the front of his shirt. _You fight well, for a low-level piece of offal,_ the machine thought to Fifteen, watching the fiend's face contort as the energy burned his skin. _But this has gone too far already. May the Graveyard accept you…_

Unseen by Jinzo, Raelvion had regained his feet. Hefting his staff, the spellcaster gathered his energy and yelled, "Dark Magic Attack!"

If the machine could emote, it would have looked surprised. _Damn it!_ It threw Fifteen away and fired its Cyber Energy Shock towards the incoming dark magic.

The combined energy explosion threw all parties involved to the floor… except for Fifteen, who, still being airborne, merely had his airtime increased. His flight ended with another hit against a wall.

For a moment, the battle was on hold, as everyone involved had to get back to their feet (or, in Jinzo and Tilde's cases, back to low-altitude hovering). Once the spellcasters had recovered, they pointed their staffs at the machine and let loose with an endless barrage of magic… even Tessia, who had joined her power with Tilde's for the time being.

Each and every such attack veered away and blew a hole in the wall once Jinzo focused its mind on them. Finally, it grabbed one of Raelvion's Dark Magic Attacks with its mind and threw it back.

With the exception of Fifteen, who was currently dazed against a wall and out of range, the other monsters ran for it. They had just made it out of the blast radius when the attack exploded.

A pair of fans in the ceiling turned on, blowing away the smoke (which, thanks to the red emergency lights, was eerier than usual). Now the scene showed Tilde, Tessia, Raelvion, and a newly-recovered Fifteen huddled on one side of the burned-out room, while Jinzo hovered next to Mechanical Exodia's carcass on the other side. The machine radiated frustration; the others only showed exhaustion.

Finally, raising its arms, Jinzo mentally shouted, _You pathetic **worms**! _It then brought its arms down, letting out a massive blast of psychic energy and reflooring the others.

"You'd think it would be running low on energy by now," Tessia said as she picked herself up again.

As Fifteen struggled to get back on his feet once more, Raelvion shook his head, leaning on his staff. "Sadly, that's another advantage it has over us," he said. "It's a machine – it doesn't tire out. We're running on fumes and it's just getting started."

Floating up to its weary opponents, Jinzo twisted its hands. As one, the others flipped over, slamming yet again into the metal floor. _Are you already finished?_ it asked. _Such an unfortunate occurrence. I still have anger to work out._ It set one hand to where its chin would be, had it had one. Its eyes centered on Tessia.

The Magician of Faith suddenly felt like a thousand pairs of hands were rummaging through her mind. She quivered, setting her hands to her head and trying to focus on something else… but the hands wouldn't stop.

Finally, they pulled one image to the forefront – a Lady of Faith.

_Ah… I see…So that was what the Witch of the Black Forest meant…_ The machine suddenly started to laugh again.

Tilde whispered, "That can't be good."

In an instant, all four of Jinzo's opponents could see it in their minds: every last detail of Naomi's death, clarified and with occasional close-ups. They were forced to relive it as the drill came down and she shattered… several times.

Needless to say, it took a while to recuperate from the experience. "What… what was that?" Fifteen asked, knowing it was a rhetorical question.

_A little preview of what I just sent into the mind of the Lady of Faith who calls herself "Liselle"._

Tessia gasped, as the others all privately recoiled.

**0000000 **

Many would have you believe that it is far better to know the fate of a loved one than to have the weight of worry on your shoulders. It is better to know what has happened to them, they say, even if it means knowing they are dead, rather than forever torture yourself asking what _may_ have happened.

But Liselle, who had just gone from fearing for Naomi's life to receiving full footage of the Witch's death, would be the last person to agree with that view. She was currently curled into a small ball on the floor of her apartment, weeping.

Finally, when she was out of tears, the Lady of Faith pulled herself to her feet and took Naomi's picture from the wall, clinging to it. "Naomi…"

As it happened, she wasn't out of tears after all. A fresh wave overtook her, and she sank to her knees, the portrait of Naomi pressed against her chest as she cried.

This time, her crying came to a halt when something caught her eye – an unnatural light. As she didn't have the lights on, she knew it could only come from the window.

Once again, Liselle climbed to her feet, walking to the window. A glance out of it banished her sorrow from sheer shock.

"What's wrong with the sky?" she said aloud.

Above the Central Shadow Realm, the sky was no longer its usual overcast self. Instead, it was red… and not blood-red, for blood is a special shade of red. This was pure red, the color of pain and agony. It was a color nothing should ever be.

Liselle looked at the sky, as did everything else in the Shadow Realm that could see it. And then the earthquake hit, and she fell.

**0000000**

On the very northern edge of the Shadow Realm, there is a cave. Within that cave is a door, guarded by a great power. Behind that door is another cave with another door; behind the second door are another cave and another door, and behind _that_ door is a small shrine.

The shrine sits in front of a tremendous iron door, the largest door ever built for any purpose. It is sealed by powers so incalculably great that even a fraction could split the Shadow Realm in half. This security is necessary… because behind the iron door is Exodia Necross, whose escape would mean the end of the Shadow Realm and the death of all.

The shrine is tended, day and night, by the holiest being in the Shadow Realm – the Archlord Zerato. Once the guardian of the Higher Plane, he was called to service by Exodia the Forbidden One, and given the task of watching over the iron door. He serves willingly, although should the Higher Plane require it, he will return.

At the moment, Zerato and his assistant, a Kotodama, were putting the shrine back together. The earthquake had overturned it, and several of the sacred candles were out.

"Quite the quake, wouldn't you say?" the Archlord said, setting the candles back into place.

The Kotodama could not speak, but it nodded.

Turning to the door, Zerato shook his head. "Something must be going wrong in the Central Shadow Realm," he said. "Necross is beginning to stir… this is never good. Let us hope this is just temporary."

**0000000**

The earthquake had affected Jinzo's lair as well, but the machine itself was floating, and so it was unaffected. Not so lucky were three out of its four opponents – Tilde was floating as well, but Fifteen, Tessia, and Raelvion were sent to the floor for what felt like the thousandth time that day.

_So it has begun,_ Jinzo thought aloud. _Necross can sense when something threatens the Shadow Realm… and he feeds on it. As my plan reaches fruition, he begins to awaken behind the iron door. He stirs…_

Leaning on his sword, Fifteen took several deep breaths. Each one felt like a kick in the ribcage from a Legendary Jujitsu Master. "Any magic cubes that can get us out of this one, Representative?" he said, a touch of sarcasm coming out through the weariness.

"Not this time," Raelvion said, shaking his head. "It's too nimble for the only other attack option I have."

After a moment, Fifteen glanced to the pipes on the wall. The pipes still hung there, even though the Final Power Surge they had connected to was gone. Suddenly, he had a surge of inspiration. "Raelvion, cover me!" he said, and then the Witty Phantom broke into a sprint.

"Oh, I wish you wouldn't do that," the spellcaster muttered. Pointing his staff at Jinzo, he opened his mouth.

The machine flipped him over with one gesture, as per usual. Its attention then turned to Fifteen, who seemed to be running… _past_ him.

_What is he up to?_ it thought. Its mind dove into his…

The fiend's thoughts were one sentence, over and over again: _I'm going to cut the pipes. I'm going to cut the pipes. I'm going to cut the pipes._ Jinzo's eyes flashed, its version of a blink, as it tried to work out why the pipes were so important.

Leaping with the last of his energy, Fifteen slashed through all but one of the pipes with one swing of his Sword of Deep-Seated. He then crashed to the ground beneath them, spent.

One pipe, the positive energy one, was unbroken. The others flooded the last of their contents onto him… and among the fluids was raw negative energy.

Jinzo finally worked out the Witty Phantom's plan. One gloved hand struck its forehead.

Slowly, Fifteen rose from the floor. He didn't look right, as was to be expected. His skin was an otherworldly shade of black – to be specific, the negative color of orange. His clothes were likewise altered, and now radiated ultraviolet light (which, to a machine such as Jinzo, was like setting off a flashbulb into one's eyes). Even his sword was a negative color.

But strangest of all were his eyes – they were neither their usual solid green nor negative green. They were pure black, like empty holes leading into true darkness. Those eyes locked onto Raelvion, and the Dark Magician began to sweat. They turned to Tessia, and then Tilde, and both female monsters shivered.

And then they looked to Jinzo, and the machine felt the closest it had ever felt to fear.

Hefting its sword, the fiend grinned (and even his _teeth_ were negative). And then Negative Fifteen charged.

Jinzo fired off its eye rays. They struck dead-on into the charging monster… and did absolutely nothing. Shocked, the machine let loose a wave of mental energy – which failed to so much as slow him down.

Left with no options, Jinzo charged up a Cyber Energy Shock and hurled it at Negative Fifteen. With one snap of his sword, the fiend knocked it aside. And then he reached the machine.

With a loud yell, Negative Fifteen went on the attack. He swung his sword again and again, and it was all Jinzo could do to dodge. Each swing of the blade passed within inches of the metal skin, on several occasions shaving off the outer surface of the metal.

Suddenly, flipping his sword in his hands, the fiend slashed across Jinzo's chest. It rent the machine's coat and knocked it off-balance. Another slash cut across the machine's legs, destabilizing it and sending Jinzo to the floor for the first time.

Even as Jinzo tried to rise, Negative Fifteen slammed his foot into its chest, holding it down. Pulse after psychic pulse struck the Witty Phantom, but in his current state he couldn't feel them. Meanwhile, he struck the downed machine with his sword, breaking its skin and exposing various important circuits to the air.

One would expect that Fifteen's allies were enjoying the spectacle – and one would be wrong. In truth, the other three monsters were huddled together in fright. Negative Energy, while powerful, is also a very hazardous substance – all three were afraid of what would happen when Fifteen was done with Jinzo; it was very likely he would turn and attack _them_.

Finally, grabbing Negative Fifteen's foot, Jinzo pushed the fiend off of its chest. A burst of concentration brought it upright again…

…whereupon the Witty Phantom impaled it through the chest, slamming his sword through its power source. Sparks flew.

The lights in Jinzo's eyes flickered, and it stared into the black holes that were Negative Fifteen's eyes. There was nothing there, no joy in the victory or regret in the lethal blow. There was just evil.

And then Jinzo knew terror.

The sword slid out, and the mortally-wounded machine recoiled, one hand clasping the hole in its chest. A blow from the flat of Negative Fifteen's sword knocked it to the ground.

Spinning on his heel, the infused Witty Phantom turned to his allies. With a snicker in his voice, he asked, "Next?"

"Run!" Raelvion yelled, and he turned to flee. Tessia's hand caught his sleeve, however, and he stopped, confused.

The Magician of Faith strode forward, taking the Witty Phantom off-guard. She then slid her arms around him, embracing him.

To say the Dark Magician was shocked would be a gross understatement. Tilde, however, being a Rogue Doll and thus female, merely smiled.

"Let go of me!" Negative Fifteen hissed, reaching to pull Tessia off of him. "You hear me? Let…" After a moment, however, he blinked.

On his next blink, his eyes were back to their usual green.

Ever so slowly, the colors of Fifteen's clothes returned to normal, followed by his skin and hair. Finally, his mind returned to normal.

Letting out a long exhalation, he returned the embrace, holding Tessia to him. "Thanks," he said. "I hadn't thought it would be quite like that."

After a second's pause, Raelvion exhaled. "Of course," he muttered under his breath. "One born in the light can expel negative energy with their touch. Should've remembered that."

"Nobody will blame you," Tilde replied. "You are the Dark Magician, after all. Emphasis on 'Dark'."

Once the last trace of negative energy was gone from Fifteen, he let go of Tessia and moved to where she'd dropped his hat and jacket. Dusting off the hat, he donned it again, and then pulled on his jacket. "So… now what?" he asked nobody in particular.

A burst of psychic energy then struck the four again, knocking them down. As one, they turned to where Jinzo had fallen.

The machine was standing once more, sparks flying from the hole in its chest. Its eyes flashed on and off, and it was forced to stand on the floor, as it no longer had enough power to float. One hand reached into its ruined coat, withdrawing a magic cube.

All four of the others just stared, jaws dropped. Finally, Fifteen whispered, "Which of the gods did I anger to have this happen?"

_You… _Jinzo clutched its head, a fresh burst of sparks burning from its chest. _You… will NOT… ruin my work! I… activate…_ It head the cube high. _Poly… Polymerization!_

"Where did you get one of those?" Tessia cried out.

A chuckle filled their heads. _Controlling the will of factory workers… is very simple. Convincing them… that a rich man has ordered a Polymerization… is even simpler. I… will not… be denied._ The machine flicked open the cube and pressed its switch. _Fuse… Jinzo… and Mechanical Exodia!_

The remains of Mechanical Exodia began to glow, as did the shuddering form of Jinzo. Staggering, the humanoid machine threw itself at its creation, and there was a massive burst of light as the two came together. It became impossible to see for a time.

When the light cleared, all four onlookers suddenly wished they were still blinded.

Mechanical Exodia's body still stood there, but it lived once again, clenching its giant fists. It still didn't have a head, but now it didn't need one – Jinzo's upper body had replaced it, the wound from Fifteen's sword gone. An array of tubes and wires connected the two machines, and there was a jolt of energy as the connection finished.

A hiss of steam emerged from the vent that was Jinzo's mouth. _Ah,_ it thought. _Such sublime power… I feel alive, like I have not felt for ages on end._

Raelvion finally asked, "What should we call you?"

_Interesting question, _the machine replied. _The answer is simple. I am no longer purely Jinzo or Mechanical Exodia; instead, call me… Jinzodia._

There was a pause before Tilde said, "I'd laugh, but it terrifies me."

Jinzodia flexed all four of its hands, and then its laughter filled their minds once more.


	17. Finest Hour

Necross stirred, and the Shadow Realm suffered for it. Jet-black clouds gathered overhead, but they failed to fully block the otherworldly red sky.

Everywhere in the Central Shadow Realm, the monsters stopped what they were doing and looked above them, questioning what had happened to change the sky like that. After the earthquake struck, the questioning increased in ferocity.

And then it began to hail, sharp, purple balls of ice slamming into the city below. The monsters ceased their questions and ran indoors.

The Dragon Lairs were alive with activity, as every dragon did all in their power to escape the pelting ice. Many of the weaker dragons could not fly fast enough, and their lives ended under a series of rhythmic blows from the hail. The Blue Eyes White Dragons roared in defiance, but their voices did nothing.

And under the Central Shadow Realm, the CSRPD Special Forces came to a halt. The sound of the hail striking ground reverberated all the way to them.

"What in the name of the gods is that?" the Trap Master asked, glancing to the ceiling.

Closing his eyes, Dupin thought about it for a moment, and then shook his head. "I have no idea," he answered, "but it can't be anything good. The sooner we get done here, the sooner we can find out. Onward!"

The forces moved as one, heading ever closer to the final room.

**0000000**

What once was Jinzo's room was now a disaster area. Every inch of the walls now bore scorch marks, and the red emergency lighting made things seem all the worse. But the décor paled in comparison to the monsters within.

On one side, three exhausted spellcasters and one drained fiend did what they could to catch their breath. Raelvion and Tilde sat together, trying not to hyperventilate, while Fifteen held Tessia to him, his time as Negative Fifteen having taken a toll on him.

Waiting patiently across the room from them, the metal titan calling itself Jinzodia flexed one of its Exodia hands, stretching its Jinzo body. Its eyes moved from one opponent to another, and it idly charged a Cyber Energy Shock in one hand.

_There are few things more satisfying than realizing I can kill you whenever I bid it,_ the machine thought to the exhausted monsters. _So, do you wish to carry on a farce of fighting me, or shall I simply kill all four of you now and go out to face Exodia?_

The four glanced to each other. "Do we stand a chance at all?" Fifteen asked.

"Not a chance in Dark World," Raelvion said, his voice filled with sorrow. "All the tricks we had to defeat it, we've used already… and now we're all down to the last spark of life, and it's refreshed. This time, we have nothing."

Tessia looked up, her hands still clinging to Fifteen. "So… this is the end…"

Raising both of its Exodia hands, Jinzodia began to draw in energy. Its Jinzo hands crushed the Cyber Energy Shock it had charged. _Indeed it is. If you go limp, I can assure you will feel no pain._

Suddenly, Tilde spoke up: "We have one option."

"And that would be?" Fifteen asked.

"It's not much of one, but…" She paused. "We can run. Perhaps if we can get to the surface, we can find something that can stop this thing. It might be our one chance."

Raelvion sighed again, hefting his staff. "As much as I dislike the prospect, you have a good point. On three… three!"

As one, the four turned to flee… but seconds later, each of them stopped in mid-stride. And then, as one, they slammed into the ground.

Jinzodia flexed all four of its hands. _You must be in a dream if you think I would let you escape me,_ it thought angrily. _In addition, it's never a good idea to **talk** about running away in front of the enemy you seek to flee. _

"To be honest," Fifteen said as he pulled himself to his feet, "I didn't think that would work." He rubbed one of his kneecaps, hefting his sword again.

Having gotten the furthest of the group, Raelvion was the first to hear it coming. He set his ear to the floor, eyes shut. Soon, Tilde heard it as well, followed by Tessia. Fifteen heard it next, and then Jinzodia.

Tessia was the first to put it into words: "Are those… footsteps?"

"But who'd be down here?" Tilde asked next.

_How utterly interesting._ On hearing the thought, all four monsters spun on their heels to face Jinzodia, whose Jinzo half had placed its hand to where it should have had a chin._ We will be having visitors shortly._

"Visitors?" Raelvion asked.

Jinzodia nodded. _It seems the Central Shadow Realm Police Department has discovered my door… and they've sent the Special Forces, too. A pity that the lock didn't hold… You were invited, but they were not. And I have trouble with uninvited guests. _It raised all four of its hands.

There was a moment's pause, as the four others mulled over that fact, and then Fifteen's eyes went wide.

"They wouldn't stand a chance," Tessia said, barely above a whisper.

"The Special Forces have no idea what's down here," Fifteen answered, picking up the thread. "Jinzodia would slaughter them all. Every one of them…"

Across the room, Jinzodia laughed within its head. It could see the lights of that horrible realization in their eyes and the way they stood, and it fed off it.

A moment passed, and then Raelvion reached into his pocket and took out two magic cubes. One he set back in his pocket, and the other he held out before the others. "Before I left home, I set this in my pocket along with the others," he began, sighing between words. "I prayed to every spirit on the Higher Plane that I would not need to use this. But now… it's either this, or so many others will have to die."

In turn, Fifteen, Tilde, and Tessia all stepped forward, sensing the cube's aura… and in turn, they each fell back, stunned. "Brave Attack? Sir, where did you get that? The CSRPD keeps them all under lock and key!" Tilde asked.

"It's amazing what they'll give you if you do them a favor," he replied. "Now… we must be prepared. Brave Attack will not work if your will isn't focused on the attack."

Unseen by Raelvion or the others, Jinzodia had spread its Jinzo arms, the Exodia arms moving into position. _Engage Amplifier,_ it mentally ordered. From the back of its head, a metal semicircle emerged and locked into place, humming with energy.

"I'm ready," Tilde said.

Fifteen nodded, raising the Sword of Deep-Seated. "So am I. If my death can make up for what it has done… I'm willing to go."

Leaning into Fifteen, Tessia looked up at him, and then turned to Raelvion, a look of determination edging out fear. "I'm also ready…"

"Then we act as one!" the Dark Magician declared. He turned to Jinzodia and triggered the Brave Attack cube. "Prepare yourself, metal titan!"

_Please… being overdramatic will only increase the humiliation._ The machine snapped its fingers, and the Exodia right arm rose, charging with purple energy. _Fire the Magic Jammer!_

From the Exodia arm's palm, two thin bolts of purple lightning shot across the room, striking the cube Raelvion was holding. The spellcaster yelled, grabbing his hand and pulling it back as the cube dropped to the floor.

Even as the others moved to check on Raelvion, Fifteen looked up and muttered, "A trap? When did you hook that up?"

Jinzodia's first answer was a telepathic laugh. It then calmed and thought, _It took a very long time, let me assure you. I spent a hundred years developing the technologies that led to my Mechanical Exodia, and one of them was a way to transfer the energy from trap cubes into a metal frame. I had to invent this Amplifier in order to negate my body's own energy fields – they tend to short out most traps. It was all worth it, though…that arm can shut down any magic you try to use!_

"Why did the Wave-Motion Cannon work, then?" Tilde asked.

_My own foolishness,_ Jinzodia thought with a hint of distaste. _Hubris blinded me to the possibility that the Dark Magician's plan would work. Damn my pride._

A wisp of smoke escaped the Brave Attack cube as Ralevion picked it up. Despite himself, he began to tear up. "It's ruined," he whispered. "The magic's burned out. We're now completely out of options."

_Was there any doubt? The simple truth of the matter is that you will all die here._

Tessia's expression changed after hearing that. Turning Fifteen's head, she kissed him as hard as she could. The fiend kissed back, a little confused.

That done, the Magician of Faith let go of Fifteen. She stood up, taking her staff from her side, and said, "Fifteen, Tilde, Representative… don't try to stop me. I know what I must do."

And then she walked past them, standing only a foot or so from Jinzodia.

The Witty Phantom's jaw dropped, and he rushed to pull her away… but the machine waved a hand and he flew backwards, striking the floor hard.

For a moment, the dark machine and the spellcaster of light stared at each other. Then, pulling her staff back, Tessia shouted, "Holy Crescent!" and fired her magic at Jinzodia.

It dissipated harmlessly on hitting the Exodia body's chest.

A gust of steam flew out of the vent on Jinzodia's face, and it raised all four of its hands, charging gigantic amounts of energy through each pair. _Impressive courage… but suicidal nonetheless. THIS is how you attack!_

It suddenly hit Raelvion what Tessia's plan was. As Fifteen was about to throw her out of the way, the Dark Magician tripped the fiend and pinned him down, Tilde holding his legs.

Tessia turned her head, tears staining her face. "Fifteen," she said, "I… I love you…"

The Witty Phantom thrashed under his captor's arms, but they held firm, although both were beginning to cry.

_Cyber Obliteration!_ With those words, Jinzodia unleashed its attack, a massive Cyber Energy Shock joined to a beam of power from its Exodia hands.

The combined energies slammed into the Magician of Faith, and for a moment it was far too bright to see.

But when the light faded, there was nothing to be seen; nothing was left where Tessia had stood but a scorch mark, the metal surrounding it melted and bubbling.

_One down,_ Jinzodia thought, triumph ringing in every letter. _One down._

Now openly crying, both spellcasters let Fifteen go, moving back a couple of steps. The fiend rose to his feet, stumbling forward a few inches at a time until he reached the scorched spot where Tessia had died. He lowered his head, pulling down his hat, and whispered, "Tessia, I love you too…"

And then he threw his head back and screamed. Every ounce of his rage and his sorrow fell into the scream, everything he'd ever felt for Tessia awakening at once and fueling his cry. The sheer force of his scream almost lifted him off the ground.

When it was over, he stumbled back to Tilde and Raelvion and collapsed, breathing hard. The spellcasters held him up.

The machine was fairly confused by Fifteen's reaction, and took a moment to look into the Witty Phantom's mind. It then mentally recoiled and drew back – the fiend's gathered emotions had shocked every circuit it had, and reading his mind was impossible.

Even as Fifteen regained his breath and stood again, the first few tears were rolling down his face. "Why… why did she…" He couldn't finish his question, as even trying to say the next word caused a new spasm of tears to emerge.

Before Raelvion or Tilde could answer, there was a faint breeze – something that shouldn't have happened underground. The breeze picked up, and then the three felt it. It was an aura, free of any body, and it was one they recognized instantly.

Fifteen's eyes widened again, and his tears stopped.

Tessia's aura moved among the three, a sense of joy radiating off of it. It brushed across Tilde's cheek, weaved amid Raelvion's arms, and floated around Jinzodia, causing the machine to shudder slightly (a highly strange sight).

A moment more passed, and then the Magician of Faith's aura floated before Fifteen. The fiend was silent, and then said, "Goodbye, Tessia."

The aura brushed his lips once before it flew past him. It went to the Brave Attack cube, and then suddenly dove into it. The cube sparked, and then let off a bright purple glow.

After the cube stopped glowing, a curious Raelvion picked it up… and then gasped. "It's charged again!" he said, awed. "I knew that was her plan!"

"They say a Magician of Faith's death can restore magic to anything that once was magical…" Tilde answered, also awed. "Why didn't I remember?"

"So… so that's why she sacrificed herself," Fifteen said once his shock wore off. "She gave us another chance."

In a rage, Jinzodia closed all four of his hands. _That stupid mage!_ it thought. _Killing her wasn't worth it! But there's no way I'll let you have that second chance!_ It thrust out its Exodia right arm, the Magic Jammer charging.

Fifteen then let out a roar and hurled his Sword of Deep-Seated at Jinzodia, the blade spinning. His gathered emotions shielded his thoughts from the machine, so it didn't see the attack coming.

The sword sliced neatly through Jinzodia's arm at the shoulder joint, flew past it, and shattered on the back wall of the room. Dropping from its joint, the arm hung by two wires for a moment, and then they snapped and it hit the floor.

Nobody moved or said a word for several seconds. Finally, Jinzodia thought, _Impressive, but futile. One of the many advantages of being a machine is that lost limbs are only the matter of a few hours of spot welding. _It then moved its attached arm to cover the severed joint.

The three other monsters huddled together, and Raelvion whispered, "All right… when I activate Brave Attack, we will each launch one final attack on him. The magic of the cube will combine our powers into one attack greater than the sum of its parts. But the force of the attacks will kill us in the process. You already knew this, but now…" He paused, took a deep breath, and then said, "One of us has to be the 'point', the one who goes last. That one will survive for several minutes after the Brave Attack…"

"I'll be the point," Fifteen said before Raelvion could finish his sentence.

Taking another deep breath, Raelvion replied, "Are you certain? Once the Brave Attack begins, it can't be stopped, and it can't be altered. And most monsters would rather get it over with quickly than linger."

Glancing to Jinzodia, Fifteen turned back and nodded. "For Tessia's sake… I want to see it die."

"I understand." Raelvion then took the other magic cube out of his pocket and handed it to Fifteen.

The instant his fingers wrapped around the cube, Fifteen was stunned. "A…" He stared into Raelvion's eyes. "A Monster Reborn? Why in the Shadow Realm would you give this to _me_?"

"I've been around for over two thousand years, Fifteen. I've seen many things, most of which I haven't wanted to see. I'm ready to see what the Graveyard has for me." Readjusting his hat, Raelvion added, "Just as you die, the cube will activate automatically. Now, are you ready?"

"Always," Fifteen answered.

Tilde added, "As am I."

Stepping in front of them, Raelvion glared at Jinzodia, and then flicked the magic cube on. "Brave Attack begins now!"

Instantly, all three of the monsters were outlined in a blue light, one that crackled with their every movement. Jinzodia, dismayed, launched a psychic pulse at them. It bounced off, nearly knocking the machine down.

Raelvion looked to Tilde. The Rogue Doll nodded, floated forward, and gathered all her energy at the tip of her staff before pointing it at Jinzodia and shouting, "Rogue's Magic Blast!"

The resulting burst of magic was much larger than any of her previous attacks; it was a beam of pure white light, crackling with ozone as it tore across the room and struck the machine's Exodia body. Unlike her previous attacks, this one left a crack on its casing.

Spent, Tilde floated backwards. She looked up to the Dark Magician, managed a thin smile, and then dropped to the ground, shattering on impact.

Fighting back his tears, Raelvion whispered, "Goodbye, Tilde," and then turned to Fifteen, saying more audibly, "My turn. I enjoyed our time together, Fifteen."

"Thank you," the fiend said, tipping his hat.

Seeing the damage to its casing, Jinzodia blew steam out of its vents, its severed Exodia right shoulder, and the crack on its front. Drawing its limbs together, it gathered another Cyber Obliteration and fired it.

Raelvion stepped forward, drawing on the Brave Attack, and swatted the attack away, whereupon it tore a colossal gouge out of the wall. Calling in all of his power, he pointed his staff and yelled, "Dark Magic Attack!"

The world around them turned negative as he let loose the magic, one long stream of energy firing out from him and tearing into the machine. The Brave Attack then drew out Raelvion's life force, a blue energy mingling with the dark magic, and the air around them grew white-hot. It was so powerful that the Dark Magician began to sweat blood.

When, mercifully, the attack came to an end, large portions of Jinzodia's body were scorched, and the crack on its torso was wider and deeper than previously. Although it couldn't feel pain, the Jinzo half was slouched over the Exodia half, sparks emerging from its frame.

Blood dripped from Raelvion's palms as he let his staff go. It clanged on the floor, and he fell to his knees, taking his last breaths in long, drawn-out gasps. Finally, he turned to Fifteen and gasped, "Now… finish it!"

"It shall be done," the Witty Phantom answered.

On hearing that, the Dark Magician smiled and collapsed, dead. As a Council member, his body did not shatter.

Tugging his glove down, Fifteen looked across the room, his eyes meeting the glowing discs of Jinzodia. The machine had taken everything from him – his peace, his friends, his normal existence… now it had taken the woman he loved, and soon it would take his life.

It was time to return some of that torment.

The look in Fifteen's eyes forced Jinzodia to look away.

The fiend broke into a run, one hand pulled back and the other keeping his hat on. They were only a few feet apart, but as he charged at Jinzodia everything seemed to slow down. He dimly felt the machine's psychic impulses strike him again and again, trying to slow him down or stop him. It was like being tickled.

Finally, he threw himself at the machine, slamming his palm into its body. He set the other hand on top of the first and screamed, "Phantom Strike!"

All of the energy in his body tore out through his palms, flooding Jinzodia's frame. A wave of black and blue energy – his power and his life force – crackled through the machine, and the crack spread backwards before blowing through Jinzodia's back. This wave of energy lasted for a minute, and then Fifteen stumbled back.

"Please tell me it worked," he muttered.

**0000000**

Hearing the sounds of battle, Sophitia turned to Dupin and asked, "Do you hear that?"

"I'd have to be deaf not to!" the Chief of Police answered. "Someone needs our help! Faster, everyone!"

**0000000**

Everything seemed like a mirage to Fifteen as the Brave Attack's price began to work on him. He shook it off, struggling to keep his focus as he stared at Jinzodia.

For a crucial, painful second, it seemed like the machine was unaffected. It looked at him and began to laugh mentally… a laugh that stopped when one of its eyes shattered.

_No!_ it mentally cried, reaching up with one of its Jinzo arms to feel its eye. There was an explosion as its arm blew off at the elbow, falling to the floor.

A large explosion tore through its lower body, and the machine began to protest. _This isn't right! This isn't how I wanted it to go! What happened to my control?_ The Exodia left arm detonated from within, pieces flying everywhere.

The Witty Phantom smiled grimly.

Even without a face to show it, the machine was clearly panicked as small explosions rocked its frame. The Jinzo left side erupted, and the Amplifier on its head shattered. Finally, it raised its one remaining arm and thought, _**HOW?**_

And then the rest of it went up in one massive explosion, shards flying through the air as Jinzo finally fell, its evil purged forever.

A weight lifted itself from Fifteen's heart, even as shards of his slain enemy slashed across his face. But, relieved as he was, there was one last task to carry out.

He limped to Raelvion's body, dropped to his knees, and took out the Monster Reborn cube the Dark Magician had given him. Holding it over the dead monster, he triggered it.

The symbol of the ankh shined for a brief moment, and then Raelvion coughed, life restored to his body. He coughed again, spitting up blood as he revived, and then blinked a few times, raising his head.

And then the situation struck him, and he looked at Fifteen, unbelieving. "Fifteen… you brought me back? Why?"

Although he was weak and getting weaker, Fifteen answered, "You forgot… I'm still a wanted monster… My continued existence wouldn't make anyone happy. You… you're a Council member… important…" He managed a smile. "Consider it… my last chance for a pardon…"

Working his way to his knees, Raelvion took a few deep breaths, and then saw the pieces of Jinzodia that had scattered everywhere. He then let out a sigh. "It's finished, then? The Shadow Realm is safe for now?"

"Yes… and now…" Fifteen placed a hand on his chest, wincing as the Brave Attack took its final toll. "To be with Tessia… it's not so bad a way to go…"

There was nothing Raelvion could say to that.

With one final tip of his hat, Fifteen fell onto his side and expired. The hat, the one he'd worked so hard to protect, rolled off of his head in the last seconds of his life.

A moment later, the Witty Phantom D-15A, Fifteen, shattered.

No more than thirty seconds after that, the Central Shadow Realm Police Special Forces arrived on the scene. They fanned out around the room, performing their usual security sweep… until Dupin said, "Don't even bother. It's obvious we missed all the real dangers."

Noting the Dark Magician in the center of the room, Dupin approached him and said, "Are you all right, Mr. Representative?"

The spellcaster didn't answer. Instead, reaching down, he picked up Fifteen's hat and looked at it.

Catching up to the chief, Aysev and Geefor caught their breaths. The Unfriendly Amazon then noticed what Raelvion was holding. "That's Witty Phantom D-15A's hat. I'd recognize the damage anywhere," she said. "But where's D-15A?"

In that instant, the reality of everything that had happened finally caught up with the Dark Magician. He curled into a ball and began to cry, all his emotions coming out in one wave of tears after another.

Unsure how to react, Dupin just stood there, watching his police officers try to make sense out of the charnel grounds that was the late Jinzo's lair.

**0000000**

At the very edge of the Shadow Realm, in front of the iron door, Archlord Zerato had finally relit the sacred candles and was just about to resume his activities in front of the shrine. His plans were interrupted by a sudden, impossibly loud noise from behind the iron door.

It was a howl, a vile howl of rage and frustration. It was the roar of one who, seeking to commit unspeakable crimes, saw an opening appear before them, only to have it stolen away at the last moment. It was the howl of Necross, its opportunity to escape destroyed, and it could be heard throughout all the Shadow Realm and the worlds it bordered.

The howl carried on for several minutes, and then faded away to nothing, leaving only an echo.

_There's one more chapter left…_

_Coming in the final chapter: Jinzo is dead, its evil gone. Fifteen has died as well… but whereas Jinzo has nothing waiting for it, the Shadow Realm has one final trick up its sleeve for the Witty Phantom. A surprise waits in his afterlife, one that may not be what he was expecting. The story is nearly complete. It all concludes in Chapter Seventeen, "Life and Death in the Shadow Realm". _


	18. Life and Death in the Shadow Realm

_Consider, for a moment, the concept of fate. _

_Some say that all things are intertwined, but this is not the case. The next time someone says that, ask them to connect what they had for breakfast yesterday to the death of a public figure three years ago._

_But fate works in some very strange ways, and many things are connected in ways we could never hope to realize. For example, all of the following statements but one are truths; one of them is actually a belief, which just so happens to be true._

_Truth: During the First Dragon War, three brothers went to battle against the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. The youngest of the three was known as the Dark Flare Knight._

_Truth: All three of the brothers were killed during the final charge on the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon._

_Truth: The Dark Flare Knight, the youngest brother, was the last to die. He suffered a mortal wound fighting his way past a Hyozanryu._

_Truth: At the moment of the Dark Flare Knight's death, his sheer force of will made an even more powerful monster from his remains – the mighty Mirage Knight. This new creation surged past the Hyozanryu._

_Truth: It was the Mirage Knight who landed the final blow on the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, finishing the battle and ending the First Dragon War._

_Truth: After he slew the dragon, the Mirage Knight ascended into the Higher Plane, where he concealed his true powers behind the cover of the Dark Flare Knight._

_Belief: Those who have earned a second chance at life and who died to save others will meet the Dark Flare Knight on the Higher Plane, where he will grant them the Uprise, a rebirth into a greater form…_

**0000000**

For a moment, Fifteen was nowhere, in the company of no one.

And then the entire universe turned into a cloud of fog. The fog thickened, to the point where he thought it would smother him…

…and then the fog lifted, and his vision cleared. Only then he did realize it was better when he couldn't see.

At the moment, the Witty Phantom was seated in front of a tombstone. It was one of many, as the lines of graves stretched off in all directions for what seemed to be an infinite distance. The line was occasionally broken by large, square buildings – tombs, the fiend realized. The sky was gray, and the fog that had blinded him a moment ago still hung heavy on the landscape.

It was like waking up from one nightmare into another, as Fifteen realized where he was and how he'd gotten there. The place was the Graveyard, and the only way to get in was to die.

"So," he said, whispering, "I'm dead, then. Brave Attack will do that to you, I suppose." He set both hands on the tombstone and pulled himself upright, a few twinges of pain still present in his muscles.

As he rose up, the Witty Phantom noticed something was missing. He set one hand on his head… and to his utter annoyance, realized he was missing his hat. This irked him.

Suddenly, Fifteen couldn't help but laugh. _I'm dead and in the Graveyard, and yet my biggest worry is that I'm missing my hat? I need to adjust my priorities! _His laughter stopped, and he tucked his hands into his pockets, wandering amid the graves.

Time didn't seem to pass, and even if it had Fifteen would not have known how long he wandered through the Graveyard. The fog never seemed to thin, but he could still see other monsters, translucent and ghostly. According to legend, some monsters left the Graveyard for other afterlives, while some stayed there forever. The fiend's best guess was that the translucent ones were the ones that stayed behind.

After what was either an hour or ten years, the Witty Phantom found himself in front of a tomb. Curious, he tugged on the door… and found it was locked. Just as he questioned why a tomb would be locked in this place, he heard a whistling noise above his head.

Instinct overwhelmed self-control, and he took off running. Only after a few minutes of panic did he recall he was already dead, and thus unlikely to suffer any more damage. Once that came back to him, he stopped and turned around to see what the noise was.

Above the fiend's head, there floated a disturbing creature. Its face was obscured inside the hood of its robe, but what could be seen did not look pleasant. The rest of its body was hidden within that robe, except for two long, spindly arms, gripping tightly onto an age-worn scythe. Several playing cards hung on a string around its neck, and it was surrounded by similar, smaller figures in purple robes.

To Fifteen, it was like seeing a monster from a fairy tale come to life. He'd heard stories of the Reaper of the Cards and the Spirit Reapers – Death and its footmen. Every thought he had was screaming for him to run, but he dug in his feet and faced the Reaper with all the courage he could throw against it.

The Witty Phantom locked eyes with the Reaper of the Cards, and neither looked away.

Finally, both looked away at the same time – Fifteen to the ground, the Reaper to its companions. Once the gaze was broken, it put some space between itself and Fifteen; the Spirit Reapers followed it.

Looking up again, Fifteen pondered what the Reaper was up to. It had moved the scythe to one hand, and the other was raised over its head. Though the Reaper never spoke, it seemed to be chanting in silence.

And then the door appeared. One moment there was nothing there, and then there was a shining golden door, partially ajar. It stood between the Witty Phantom and the Reaper of the Cards, almost beckoning.

Even as Fifteen stared at the door, the Reaper and its followers flew off into the fog of the Graveyard.

Once again, an eternity (or perhaps ten minutes) passed as Fifteen contemplated whether or not to risk going through the door. Finally, however, curiosity and a general sense of "I'm dead, what more can happen?" combined. Taking hold of the knob, he passed through the golden door.

**0000000**

_Both of the following statements are true._

_Truth: Witty Phantom D-15A was a fiend, and slain fiends are destined for an afterlife in Dark World._

_Truth: Those who die in the service of the greater good are destined for an afterlife in the glories of the Higher Plane._

_You may think there is a contradiction in these two statements. In actuality, there is not; Fate, as mortal judges do, always considers the circumstances, and by the standards of evil Witty Phantom D-15A was a poor excuse for a fiend. _

A noble heart is anathema to the darkness.

**0000000**

As soon as he passed through the door, Fifteen threw an arm up to shield his eyes. The light on the other side was almost overwhelming compared to how dim the Graveyard was, and his eyes took a moment to adjust; even though he was dead, it was still a shock to his senses.

With his sight restored, Fifteen looked out over where he was. It was an endless field of grass and flowers; from the looks of the terrain, he was standing on a hill. Off in the distance, he could see several buildings made out of what looked like marble. Several other hills dotted the landscape, and overhead he could see what seemed to be Tenderness and Shining Friendships flying. Now that it no longer blinded him, the light seemed almost mellow; it was as if this place were perpetually in sunrise.

_Can it be?_ Fifteen asked himself silently. _This place is such a paradise… and those were fairies overhead… is this the Higher Plane? And if so, what in the name of the Gods am **I** doing here?_

Deciding that just standing there wouldn't answer the question, Fifteen set off down the first hill, jacket fluttering behind him as he descended. The scent of the flowers lifted whatever concerns he had, and by the time he reached the bottom of the hill he was actually smiling.

For another unknown length of time, Fifteen strolled amid the fields, taking all the time in the world to go wherever he was going to. Being dead had lifted a few weights off his shoulders, as the shock of death had taken away his unpleasant memories; the scent of the flowers, a breed found only in the Higher Plane, had done the rest, so that the fiend had become the typical carefree soul found in this afterlife.

After a while, however, an impulse came to life in Fifteen's mind. Not even sure what he was doing, he began to adjust his course, walking towards a destination he could not name.

Soon, the impulse had guided him to the base of a specific hill. "So… now what?" Fifteen asked the air around him.

There was no response, but logic said that if guided to a hill, one is supposed to climb it. Sighing, the Witty Phantom began to do so. To his relief, it was a fairly gentle slope.

At the hill's top, he came to a halt. On top of the hill was the largest Fiber Jar he had ever seen in his existence, its leaves being as large as his body. This one seemed rooted into the hill, and its very presence radiated peace.

Sitting under the Fiber Jar was a knight in black armor, a blazing red sword and a shield with a flame motif beside him. Both hands were behind the knight's head, and he looked up into the sky, a calm smile on his lips. After a moment, he yawned, and then Fifteen caught his eye. "Oh, hello," he said.

"Are you…" Fifteen didn't know what to say. The monster before him could only be one specific being… and this one was even more mythological than the Reaper of the Cards.

The knight under the tree smiled, sitting up slightly. "The Dark Flare Knight, yes. And unless I miss my guess, you would be the Witty Phantom they call Fifteen."

"How do you know my name?" Fifteen asked as one eyebrow rose.

"I know the identities of everyone who comes this way. Call it intuition." The Dark Flare Knight suddenly knocked hard on the Fiber Jar, causing two small pink fruits to fall into his hands. He tossed one to Fifteen and took a bite out of the other.

Taking a bite from his own fruit, Fifteen was struck by the flavors. It was unlike anything from the Central Shadow Realm, but that was to be expected on the Higher Plane.

"There's another reason I know you," the knight continued between bites of fruit. "Everyone here watched your battle with Jinzo… and I'm guessing everyone in Dark World did as well. There was a lot riding on it, after all. You just missed the celebration following its destruction."

A question popped into Fifteen's head. "Where did Jinzo go after I destroyed it?" he asked.

For a moment, the Dark Flare Knight's expression turned grim. "Nowhere," he answered. "It is gone forever, beyond all forms of revival. It was so evil that even Dark World rejected it. Nothing in the Shadow Realm or beyond will ever fear it again." His expression shifted back to normal as he said, "But as I was saying… do you know why you're here?"

The fiend shook his head.

"You died doing a heroic deed," the knight explained. "That alone would earn anyone a place in the Higher Plane. But to die saving the Shadow Realm from obliteration…" He shook his head in amazement. "That goes beyond simple heroism. Fifteen, you've made it to a level few ever will – you've earned the Uprise."

So far, Fifteen's afterlife had felt like falling into a book of myths. He stumbled backwards, nearly falling off the top of the hill. Only a swift grab at the grass around him kept him from rolling to the bottom.

"That _is_ the usual reaction, yes," the Dark Flare Knight said.

On reaching the top of the hill again, Fifteen was about to catch his breath when he realized it was unnecessary. It still took a moment for him to gather his thoughts. "The Uprise is real?" he finally asked.

A smile crossed the knight's face as he said, "I'm proof. The first Uprise was when I became the Mirage Knight, all those years ago. When I first came here, I was entrusted with the power to grant the Uprise to worthy monsters on the occasion of their deaths. I rarely ever find monsters worthy of it." He then looked the Witty Phantom in the eye. "You, however, deserve a second chance at life. If you want it, it's yours."

"May I have some time to think?"

"All the time in the world," the Dark Flare Knight said without a trace of irony.

Wandering to the edge of the hill, Fifteen looked into the sky and weighed his options. This was such a beautiful place – peaceful, quiet, free of the sadness and pain of the Central Shadow Realm, and with an aura that stripped away all of the cares and worries of life. He couldn't imagine why anyone would choose to be reborn, even in a stronger body, if the cost was leaving this place.

But then another set of options raised their voices. This was a wondrous place, yes… but the Central Shadow Realm had its charms. For all its ugliness and misery, it still bore excitement, the myriad joys of what a new day would bring. Life was never all that bad; each new dawn gave rise to a million opportunities, and each day begged to be lived to the fullest.

It was a tough choice, and so Fifteen mulled over each option on the hill's edge for some time. Every time he thought he had reached a decision, a new argument for the opposing side rose. He stood there for some time.

And then he realized the one factor, the most important one, which somehow he had never considered. One fist slammed into the other palm. He was such an idiot! There was only one aspect, one true reason to choose either eternity in the Higher Plane or a new life through the Uprise.

Turning on his heel, Fifteen looked to the Dark Flare Knight and asked, "Where is Tessia?"

The knight chuckled and answered, "I was waiting for you to ask. Tessia was here before you showed up. She, too, had earned a chance at the Uprise. She took it."

The choice was now simple. "Then I, too, will take it," Fifteen answered.

For the first time since their conversation had begun, the Dark Flare Knight stood up. He was a fair deal shorter than he'd looked sitting down. "Not surprising," he said. "Stand before me, Fifteen."

As he stepped into the required position, the Witty Phantom asked what was on his mind: "So, what new fiend will I come back as?"

Half-turned to retrieve his sword, the Dark Flare Knight heard Fifteen's query and began to laugh. "I'm not sure when that mistake got into the legends," he said, picking up his sword and checking its edge on the light. "You aren't limited to your 'starting' type in an Uprise, Fifteen. I can bring you back as anything."

That was unexpected. The fiend didn't know what to say in response.

After a moment's silence, the Dark Flare Knight grinned. "I know what to make you," he said. "There were three brothers in the First Dragon War. I was one, and you've met the second incarnation of another. I think it's time the third was reborn – of course, the real one is gone, but you should be a quite satisfactory replacement. Does that sound good?"

By this point, Fifteen was beyond being shocked. However, this was quite the offer, so he was still amazed. "I… I would be honored," he finally answered.

Turning to Fifteen, the Dark Flare Knight raised his sword. "It is time, Fifteen," he said in a much deeper and more powerful voice than before.

As the fiend watched, the Dark Flare Knight rose off the ground. His armor began to turn to gold, and he seemed to grow both taller and older. The sword transformed, becoming a scythe with a glowing golden blade. As the knight transformed, Fifteen began to feel a tug at the edge of his self.

Raising the scythe, the Mirage Knight called out, "_Fifteen, **live again!**_"

There was a tremendous flash of light. Instinctively, Fifteen threw his arms in front of himself.

Suddenly, it was as if a massive wind had caught his very essence. The true core of the fiend within Fifteen fought back, but to no avail, as everything that was Fifteen embraced the wind and the change it would bring.

And then the Witty Phantom D-15A ceased to be. But Fifteen did not.

**0000000**

_The following statement is a falsehood: Fate is always fair._

_The following statement is also a falsehood: Fate is never fair, and is always cruel and remorseless._

_The truth lies between the two falsehoods: Fate is a random force, sometimes brutal and sometimes just. _

In the end, it comes down to the observer to decide if fate is cruel or fair.

**0000000**

In the Central Shadow Realm, at the furthest point in each cardinal direction, one will find a Gravekeeper's Shrine. Each is manned by a Gravekeeper's Chieftain, and each has its own purpose. The Northern Gravekeeper's Shrine is devoted to pacifying and releasing the souls of those who have recently died, the Eastern Shrine to purification of the spirit, the Southern Shrine for remembering those who died long ago, and the Western Shrine for preparing oneself for the journey to Necrovalley.

Three days had passed since the Shadow Killer incident, and already the Central Shadow Realm had seemed to forget that anything had actually happened. After the riots, no long fueled by Jinzo's mental controls, died down, the army had pulled out and martial law ended. The Council was finally in control of itself again (although Mr. Volcano and Sellick weren't on speaking terms, it was for the better), and already the rebuilding of the Low-Level Zombie Habitation Quarters and the riot-damaged areas was underway. In short, everyone seemed to have forgotten or never known how close the city – and the Shadow Realm – had come to destruction.

Everyone, that was, except Raelvion.

The Dark Magician had spent the last three days in the Northern Gravekeeper's Shrine, in the room known as the Gate to Necrovalley. His hat, robe and vest were all piled into a corner, and on his bared chest and back were several large black-ink tattoos, which he'd had applied a very long time ago.

Given how many of those close to him had died over the ages, it seemed almost inevitable that Raelvion would join Necrovalley's Awaited (the Gravekeeper's name for their religion) at some point along the way. He was on a casual basis with all four of the Gravekeeper's Chieftains by this point.

After leaving Jinzo's lair, Raelvion had come to the Northern Shrine, and he was still there three days later, on his knees and chanting prayers in Necronic. Having lost four of those close to him in one swoop, it only seemed right.

Finally, however, the chanting stopped, and he fell forward onto his hands, panting. Only then did he realize that he hadn't eaten or drunken anything in three straight days.

At that point, a pair of sandal-clad feet appeared next to him. The feet's owner knelt, holding a plate of vegetables and a cup of water, both of which he set in front of the Dark Magician. The man in question wore light-colored robes, glasses, and a blue hat, and he had a thin beard on his face.

Looking up, Raelvion smiled at the Gravekeeper's Chieftain. "Hello, Oded," he said, taking the water and sipping at it.

"I know you like to throw yourself into your prayers," Oded answered, standing up, "but permit me to say that three straight days of them is not what I call a wise decision."

Raelvion shrugged, moving off his knees and gasping as his legs cramped from the effects of being on them for three straight days. "Perhaps not," he answered, wincing. "But I couldn't bring myself to stop."

Oded shrugged. "Sometimes the spirits work that way," he said. "Either way, one can assume your friends are at peace now."

As he was busy eating the vegetables, Raelvion could not answer at first. After a moment, however, he sighed and looked to a carving on the wall. "I wonder if their souls have reached wherever they will go yet… or even if they're in Necrovalley…"

For a moment, Oded didn't answer, but he finally said, "How odd you would ask that. I consulted the spirits this morning, asking them on your belief if your friends were in Necrovalley or one of the other planes beyond this one. Their answer was strange…"

"How so?" Raelvion got up and shakily moved towards his clothes, pulling his vest back on.

"The spirits said that Tilde was on the road to Necrovalley and that Naomi was at peace…" Oded paused. "But they could not sense Fifteen or Tessia in the afterlife. You saw both die, but the spirits did not know of them."

Midway through putting his robe back on, the Dark Magician stopped. "That makes no sense," he muttered. "The spirits know and can sense all dead-" His eyes widened, and he grabbed his staff and hat before taking off at a run.

"Where are you going?" Oded called.

"First my home and then the Beginner's Hall!"

**0000000**

The most common way for a monster's life to begin in the Central Shadow Realm is for them to step out of an alleyway, completely disoriented and helpless, staring at everything that passes by them. Etiquette requires that anyone who sees a monster like this direct them to the Beginner's Hall in the Council Lower Quarter.

The Beginner's Hall is a large, open-topped building in the Council Lower Quarter, manned by volunteer monsters (mostly Benevolent Maidens) that devote their time to educating and preparing new monsters in the ways of the Central Shadow Realm. As part of the education, new monsters are given an apartment, a job, and some general training in how the class system works.

As one might expect, it's a fairly depressing time for low-level monsters.

Most monsters come to the Beginner's Hall by train, but on some occasions, mostly amid the higher-level monsters, they start in the hall…

**0000000**

The door swung open, and the warrior fell out of it, his armor making a loud clanging noise as he hit the ground. His cape swirled around him, and his helmet slid off his head, bouncing twice as it landed.

Rising to his feet, the warrior picked up his helmet and glanced at his reflection in the back. On seeing it, he nearly dropped the helmet.

That wasn't him… was it?

His hair was blue, and his skin was rather pale. On their own, these traits seemed normal, but something in him told him that this was not always the case.

He set the helmet back on his head and examined his armor. It was purple metal, with surprisingly large "flares" around the shoulders, and there was a cape attached to the collar piece; something about the shape reminded him of a robe. Under it, judging from his sleeves, he was wearing light purple silks. The armor ended at his shoulders and mid-thighs, but he wore bracers and greaves of the same metal. On his waist, he wore a sheath; on drawing out the sword within it, he found it was glowing.

Again, something told him he didn't always dress like this and that while he may have had a sword at times, it didn't glow.

The confusion was getting to him. Stumbling forward, he found a table and leaned on it, catching his breath.

At that point, a woman in dark robes approached the warrior, hands clasped before her. She let out a little gasp and rushed up to him, bowing her head. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir!" she said. "We didn't expect anyone to emerge today…"

"Where am I?" the warrior asked.

"The Beginner's Hall, in the Council Lower Quarters of the Central Shadow Realm," the woman (aForgiving Maiden, the warrior suddenly realized) answered.

A shock of recognition hit the warrior at that point, and he grabbed his head, collapsing into a chair next to the chair. "Now… how did I know that?" he said.

The question gave theForgiving Maiden pause, but then she extended a hand to him. "Would you mind coming with me?"

Given little choice, the warrior took the maiden's hand, getting up slowly and following her as she walked on.

Shortly after that, they arrived at a table next to a small tree. Two monsters, both female, sat at this table, and oddly enough, they looked fairly alike. Both had long blonde hair, both wore miniskirt robes and scarily large hats, and both looked fairly young. In addition, both were holding tea cups.

The difference between the two was that the one on the warrior's right was slightly shorter, wore a more garish hat, and carried a fancier staff than the one on the left. In addition, she looked the way the warrior felt: nervous and confused.

The one on the left, however, was currently smiling and making a most valiant attempt at engaging her shorter look-alike in conversation. It was failing, but it was a valiant attempt regardless.

A memory suddenly popped up in the warrior's mind, identifying the monster on the left as the Dark Magician Girl. He wondered why he had memories at all.

"Miss Linnalee?" theForgiving Maiden asked the Dark Magician Girl.

Setting down her tea, Linnalee looked up to the maiden. "What is it, Catherine?"

"I think we have another Uprise here. Would you mind working with him?"

The spellcaster's already wide eyes went even wider, and she gestured to an empty seat. "No problem!" she said. "Please sit down, Mister… what is your number?"

When the question was asked, an instinct buried within all monsters awoke in the warrior. "DMK-001A," he answered automatically, sitting down as he spoke.

Bowing to the group, Catherine walked away.

Linnalee snapped her fingers, and another cup of tea appeared in front of the warrior. "So… do you know what monster you are?"

Taking the tea, the warrior sipped it, and then shook his head. "No… all I know is that I can remember being a different one. I can't remember which one…" He then looked to her. "What monster am I?"

The Dark Magician Girl smiled. "You're the Dark Magician Knight," she answered.

Suddenly, the tea cup slid from the Dark Magician Knight's fingers and hit the ground, shattering. The knight himself just stared into space, unbelieving.

_That's not possible,_ he thought. _The Dark Magician Knight was killed during the First Dragon War along with the first Dark Magician and the Dark Flare Knight. None of them were reborn – they had to train a new Dark Magician… Hold it. How do I **know** any of this?_

Up to this point, the third monster at the table – the shorter look-alike of Linnalee – had stayed silent. Now, however, she set a hand on the Dark Magician Knight's arm and said, "Stop fighting the memories. It will be easier when you let them come without questioning them."

Even as he took the advice to heart, the knight asked Linnalee, "How does she know that?"

"Because both of you went through the same thing," Linnalee answered. "Both of you were alive once before, but died doing a heroic deed. Then you received the Uprise, which brought you back in stronger bodies…" She sighed. "Unfortunately, part of the revival process was that you retain some – but not all – of the memories from your past life. That's why you were so confused when you came back."

The Dark Magician Knight let that sink in, and then asked the shorter girl, "So… what are you?"

"A Magicians Valkyria," she answered. "But… I can remember what my name was in my past life." She smiled. "I was called Tessia. Did you have a name?"

Before he could answer that, the knight was flooded with memories. This time, he let them take him where they would…

**0000000**

"_Hi! I'm Tessia."  
_

"_Name? You have a NAME?"_

**0000000**

"_So... If you don't have any place to stay, Naomi and I have a couch in the apartment you can crash on."_

_"Are you sure about that? Wouldn't people get the wrong idea if you have a male fiend living in your place?"_

_"I'm Level One, Fifteen. We don't have much dignity to begin with, so you might as well stay with me."_

**0000000**

_"But you know you'll be executed! They won't even bother with jail! Are you willing to die?"_

_"The Graveyard has to be better than running and having other people die! If I hide here any longer, they're sure to find me, and if I run I put you at risk. I have no choice but to go out and settle this."_

_"I'm... I'm just scared for you..."_

_"And I'm terrified for me, but I'm out of choices now."_

**0000000**

"_Back there, after the Copycat died, you kissed me. Might I ask why?" _

"_Well… I did almost kill you, and I'd never done it before…"_

"_So it was an apology, then?"_

"_No! It… it was…" _

"_If it's what I think it is, I feel the same way… But now is not a good time to discuss it. Best to discuss it when it isn't so likely we'll die halfway through."_

**0000000**

"_Fifteen, I… I love you…"_

**0000000**

As the tidal surge of memories came to an end, the Dark Magician Knight began to pant, mentally exhausted. Tessia took hold of his arm again. "Are you okay?"

Catching his breath, the warrior answered, "Yes… yes, I am. As for my name… All I can remember is the number fifteen. That was probably my number in my last life."

On hearing the number, Tessia let go of his arm and fell back, grabbing onto her head. Linnalee was about to move to the Magicians Valkyria's aid when the warrior stopped her, saying, "Let it go. She's in the middle of a memory rush."

"Are you sure?" the Dark Magician Girl asked.

"Because I just had one when I heard her name." He blushed slightly. "We must have known each other before we died."

As if to confirm it, a matching blush appeared on Tessia's face.

Linnalee giggled. "I see," she said.

Even as Tessia came out of her memory rush with a guilty smile on her face, the Dark Magician Knight glanced over Linnalee's shoulder and saw someone coming. After a moment, his eyes widened, and he immediately straightened up in his chair.

Waving away theForgiving Maidens who were trying to help him, the Dark Magician walked up to the table. His staff was strapped to his back, and in his hands he carried something… odd.

He was carrying a bowler hat in very bad shape. It was beaten up, dirty, and generally the sort that most monsters would throw out rather than try to repair.

Something about the hat set off a bell in the knight's mind, but he couldn't place it.

Before Raelvion (_How do I know his name? _the knight thought) could say anything, Linnalee squealed and jumped to her feet, hugging him. The mage winced and muttered, "Could you please hold off on that for a moment? I have business to conduct…"

Frowning, the Dark Magician Girl let go and stepped back.

Now free, Raelvion moved up to the table, setting the hat down. He looked first at the Magicians Valkyria, and then at the Dark Magician Knight. And then he smiled. "So… the Uprise isn't just a myth," he said. "Just as I thought."

The two monsters thus addressed looked to each other, and then back to him. Tessia asked the question both were thinking: "Did we know you before?"

"Indeed," the Dark Magician answered. "I was there when you died…" He pushed the hat towards the Dark Magician Knight. "This used to belong to you. Maybe it will help."

"Couldn't hurt," the knight answered, and both he and Tessia touched it.

For a moment, it was like an electric shock. Both monsters shut their eyes and shuddered, as every memory they had lost in the transition came back to them. At the first opportunity, they withdrew their hands.

Raelvion waited a moment, and then asked the Dark Magician Knight, "Are you okay, Fifteen?"

There was a pause, and then the warrior thus addressed smiled. It was not the sort of smile one would expect from a knight; it was, in fact, about the same smile a Witty Phantom would have. "Now that I'm myself again, I think I will be."

"Tessia?"

The Magicians Valkyria smiled as well. "I think I'll be fine," she said, back to her old self.

"Can I keep the hat?" the Dark Magician Knight asked.

Laughing, Raelvion nodded. "It was your hat to begin with," he replied, "so I have no objection. And one more thing… are you still going to go by Fifteen? After all, it's not your number anymore…"

"It's worked for me for my lifetime," came the answer.

There was a moment's pause, and then the Dark Magician nodded. He then turned to Linnalee and whispered, "I think it's best if we leave them alone for now."

In response, the Dark Magician Girl embraced him again, and Raelvion had a much-put-upon expression as the two walked away.

Once they were out of sight, Tessia slid from her chair, embracing Fifteen tightly. He had expected this, and returned the embrace with honors.

"I thought we would be parted forever," the Magician of Faith-turned-Magicians Valkyria whispered.

"As did I," the Witty Phantom-turned-Dark Magician Knight whispered back. "But that was not our fate."

"I love you…"

"And I you."

Reunited, the lovers kissed, knowing that death had failed to part them.

**0000000**

**Epilogue**

_In the Central Shadow Realm, few things last for long. Even though the city itself is thousands of years old, its nature means that what you expect to last forever is often gone by the next morn._

_But some things will not change. They will withstand the tests of time and fate. Even now, after Jinzo's attempts to lay it to waste, the Central Shadow Realm has some things that will not change._

_In the Scorpion's Den, under the Warrior Living Quarters, the Dark Scorpions clean out soot from certain misplaced firebombs._

_Somewhere, in an undisclosed location, the Dark Ruler Ha Des receives a gift from a Vampire Lord eager to please: a Leogun-skin rug._

_Aysev and Geefor, now freed from the Shadow Killer case, enjoy a little time off. They spend it at the Library Arcanium – Geefor examining the rare books, Aysev admiring the weapon displays._

_The Shadow Council chamber rings with debates and arguments as Exodia the Forbidden One, fully aware how close it all just came to an end, rubs his temples and fights another migraine._

_And in the Beginner's Hall, two souls who thought their days were at an end live again. _

_None can be sure if Fifteen and Tessia will be together forever, or if another calamity will bring their time to an abrupt halt. For now, it doesn't matter. Nothing matters except that they are alive and they are together._

_  
Love can bring great pain, and it can bring great joy. They have had their pain, and now they bask in the joy, and will for as long as they can. _

_And with that, let us leave this tale behind, and leave the Central Shadow Realm with it for now._

_The Central Shadow Realm is a city of ten thousand stories. I have told you all I can of this one._

_**The End**_


End file.
